The other day we were thinking about how online shopping and virtual stores first came about, and we went digging around the internet to find out more about specific dates. Sadly, there's no real consensus, and we'll admit we got a bit lost pondering the revolution of this whole phenomenon. The fact is, online shopping is here to stay. Its big advantage? Convenience, and saving time (and sometimes money too). At Marmarina we adapted to what couples were asking for and launched our online wedding invitation shop, and with it, online invitation design. If you'd like to know more, don't miss this post.
Reinvent yourself or die — a phrase that's become one of the most popular sayings out there, and one that sums up perfectly how every field has evolved, business included.
The digital age has let us do away with the barriers of time and distance when it comes to buying products, something that has become essential today, given the hectic pace of life we all lead, whatever our personal circumstances.
In fact, we'd go as far as to say it's a rare week when, asking a loved one, family member or public figure how work is going, you don't hear answers like "flat out", "no time for anything", or "I don't even know what day it is with all this running around".
Given this pace of life, all shops and wedding suppliers try to make the buying process as easy as possible for our customers, almost as smooth as buying in person.
Even though we have a small studio based in Gijón, we've always been committed to online retail, offering an intuitive, clear, clean and — why not say it? — beautiful website, where you'll find all our products with barely any effort.
If you're looking for invitations online, we offer you two options: our collections, or fully personalised designs. If, after browsing our wedding invitations catalogue, you don't find the illustration or overall style you had in mind, don't worry, because we can also create personalised invitations online.
Marmarina's online invitation design is based on the following steps:
1. Analysis and Concept
We need to get to know everything about the couple, which is why it's essential to have a chat with them (by phone or via a form) so they can share the key details and what they expect from their personalised invitations.
2. Sketching
Handmade invitations really start to come together at the sketching stage, a method inspired by the toile de jouy technique, where the first sketches are drawn by hand in a monochrome tone — that's where the key and the real value lie.
3. Materials and Colour Tones
Once the design is more or less set, it's time to choose the paper stock and the colour tones the design will be created in. We always recommend a high-quality, 300gsm acid-free laid paper, a blue colour palette combining Prussian blue and ultramarine, with watercolour as the technique.
4. Watercolour and Calligraphy
And once again, the handcrafted value shines through with the watercolour details and calligraphy. Our watercolour wedding invitations are sketched by hand in watercolour and then digitised. If you're a fan of calligraphy, you'll love to know that at Marmarina we hand-letter every text using ink, a dip pen, and the elegant English copperplate script.
We hope you've enjoyed our take on online shopping.
Love, Marmarina.
