Getting the chance to be the florist in charge of the festive transformation at the Roman Baths was truly amazing! It took a lot of hard work and long days, but it was so worth it to bring festive florals to this iconic local attraction. The theme was a blend of traditional Christmas and Saturnalia, a Roman holiday that celebrated the god Saturn with feasting, decorations, and revelry. To reflect this, we incorporated plenty of metallics into the designs, mixing gold and copper tones to add a nod to this ancient tradition while maintaining the charm of a classic Christmas.
Arriving at the Roman Baths early on the first day, I took a moment to do a walk-around before the doors opened. There’s something magical about seeing Bath in the early morning, especially during the festive season, with the Christmas Market and Bath Abbey providing the perfect backdrop. As we brought in our tools and materials, the excitement started to build. The Roman Baths are always special, but there’s something extra magical about them at Christmas.
Day One: Transforming the Tea Rooms
For the first day, our focus was on the Roman Baths Tea Rooms, a stunning venue where visitors can enjoy a luxurious festive afternoon tea. To begin the transformation, we refreshed all the previous year’s arrangements. This was an important step to ensure they reflected my style of floristry, with fuller designs featuring more festive greenery. At Christmas, I believe bigger is always better!
After a long day of preparation, we waited until the baths closed to the public to bring our vision to life. We began with the fireplaces, filling long troughs with glittering stems in shades of gold and copper. Securing the arrangements carefully was essential, especially as we worked to keep the mechanics hidden for a seamless, festive look.
Next, we moved to the balcony. We dressed the base of the banister with flowers and installed three pre-decorated Christmas trees. However, the narrow staircase presented a challenge, requiring us to take the trees up in three parts. Thirteen hours later, day one was complete, and we were ready to tackle more fun on day two.
Day Two: Gallery Garlands and Entrences
On the second day, we focused on dressing the gallery windowsills overlooking the Roman Baths and decorating the ticket hall around the giant World Heritage sign. We spent the day refreshing arrangements, fluffing over 20 metres of garlands, and adding mismatched decorations in gold and copper to create visual interest.
Once the baths closed for the evening, we transformed the gallery windowsills. Soft fairy lights glittered against the metallic accents in the new garlands, creating a magical view of the baths below. In the ticket office, tall and full arrangements complemented the World Heritage sign without obscuring its beauty.
To complete the transformation, we added a Christmas tree by the revolving door entrance to the restaurant and placed golden urns on each windowsill in the tea room. The final result was breathtaking—ready to be enjoyed by countless visitors.
A huge thank you to the Roman Baths for choosing me for this magical task. I can’t wait to do it all again next year! If you haven’t visited yet, make sure to head to the Roman Baths to experience the festive magic for yourself.
Florist: (Me) @Femme_Petale
Freelancers: @neonmoonfloral and @wildhoneyfloristry
Venue: @theromanbaths