At London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale, our Memory Makers know exactly how to bring the seasonal celebration to your Christmas event.

Nadia Nasser from London florist Blossom and Threads tells us how the hotel created the perfect seasonal setting for her wreath making workshop, and shares some of her top tips for choosing your festive flowers and foliage. 

Festive floristry

For Nadia, the spirit of Christmas starts with her favourite festive flowers. ‘There are two really important flowers for me at Christmas time,' she says. ‘Firstly, the hellebore, known as the Christmas rose. It's a beautiful English garden flower and a great choice for dressing a table using bub vases.'

‘Secondly, we're really seeing the amaryllis grow in popularity. I love how 2022 trends are pairing the orange amaryllis with dark green holly for a modern, playful take on a traditional seasonal staple.' 

Setting the scene

London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale was the ideal city centre venue for Nadia to host her popular wreath making workshop. ‘From the start, the Memory Makers made it clear they were here to help,' she says. ‘On the day, the team were there to assist with unloading the van. They set up my event in a ground floor room, so access was really easy.'

‘The function room was a great event space and the ideal size for the workshop,' Nadia adds. ‘My wreath making workshop is interactive - attendees need to move around the space to choose their materials to put their wreaths together. The room provided had the space to give everyone the opportunity to get on their feet and get their creative juices flowing!'

Designing decorations

Thanks to the space the Memory Makers created, Nadia could take attendees through every detailed stage of the wreath making process. ‘To start, I gave everyone a reusable copper ring as the base for their wreath,' she explains. ‘A layer of thick moist moss is added to keep the wreath fresh before we move on to the frame. Here, I like to give attendees plenty of options. As well as staple wreath leaves (such as spruce, fir, pine and juniper) I also brought eucalyptus to London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale. The scent really complemented the hotel's festive vibe.'

‘We add the décor to the wreath at stage three, which is where personalities really start to show,' smiles Nadia. ‘The event setting really helped bringing attendees' creativity to life, using different colours and flowers inspired by the festive décor and the smell of mulled wine and cinnamon.' 

Making memories

‘The hotel's Memory Makers, Ben and Amber, were brilliant from the start,' praises Nadia. ‘They made a real effort to understand Blossom and Threads and what we needed to run a successful event. Their support was crucial to help us create a really festive workshop.'

‘Wreath making is typically one of the first Christmas activities on the calendar, so it's important to set the right vibe,' she adds. ‘The London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale team had that covered. They asked attendees to wear Christmas jumpers, and used their understanding of our needs to create the right tone for our event. For example, I loved how the mulled wine they provided set off the seasonal smell of the foliage and greenery, so all dimensions came together to build the spirit of Christmas.'

Continuing the celebration

It wasn't only the festive ambience of the workshop event room that created the Christmas spirit. Workshop attendees continued the celebrations at London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale in an adjacent function room.

‘There was a real celebratory feeling across the hotel, which certainly got attendees in the seasonal spirit,' says Nadia. ‘The hotel décor complemented the setting of the workshop room, Christmas music was playing, and the scent of wreath foliage really added to the festive vibe from the hotel's gorgeous Christmas tree.'

Eco activities

Once the event was over, attendees were naturally keen to hear Nadia's tips to make sure their wreaths remained beautiful throughout the festive period. ‘Blossom and Threads is an eco-florist, so we work with as many reusable and locally sourced materials as we can in the most environmentally friendly way,' she explains. 

‘The most important thing is to spray the moss at the base of your wreath, not just the front of the leaves, to keep it moist,' Nadia says. ‘Hanging your wreath on an exterior door where it's a bit colder will help it to last longer. However, if you're using it indoors (for example, as a table centrepiece), it'll stay gorgeous – just spray it that little more regularly. The décor can be dried, bagged up and stored until next year to reuse with your copper ring. Of course, you can forage for fresh foliage next season too!'

‘I'd highly recommend hosting an event or workshop at London Marriot Hotel Maida Vale,' Nadia concludes. ‘The team were great, supporting me both beforehand and on the day to make sure they delivered the festive feeling I wanted to achieve. Having the tree up in the hotel also helped make it the perfect Christmas setting.'

‘The creativity and individuality of the wreaths the attendees made is a real testament to how Blossom and Threads and the hotel worked together to create a really celebratory spirit for a Christmas event. I'm looking forward to coming back again!'

To host your Christmas event at London Marriott Hotel Maida Vale or find out about the seasonal workshops we're hosting, contact your Memory Maker.