Greenisland Invitations: Design & Ordering Guide

So Greenisland Invitations came up in conversation the other day

Okay so Greenisland is one of those invitation brands that’s been around forever but people still get confused about their ordering process and I totally get it because back in spring 2023 I had this bride who ordered the wrong paper weight and we had to scramble three weeks before her wedding and it was honestly a mess. But once you understand how their system works it’s actually pretty straightforward.

First thing you gotta know is that Greenisland does things a bit differently than like Minted or Zola. They’re more of a traditional stationery company so you’re not gonna get the same hand-holding through the design process. You pick a template, customize it, and they print it. That’s it. No endless proofs back and forth unless you pay extra for that service.

Their design categories and what actually matters

They break everything down into collections which sounds fancy but really it just means they’ve grouped designs by style. You’ve got your classic formal stuff, modern minimalist, floral everything, rustic vibes, and then some weird category they call “artistic” which is basically anything that doesn’t fit elsewhere.

The thing that annoyed me SO much when I first started working with Greenisland was that their website filtering is terrible. Like you can’t filter by multiple things at once? In 2024? Come on. So you kinda have to browse through way more options than you should have to. I usually tell clients to set aside like an hour just for browsing because it’s gonna take a while.

When you’re looking at designs pay attention to the layout flexibility. Some of their templates let you move text boxes around and others are completely locked. The locked ones will have a little icon but it’s easy to miss and then you get three steps into customization and realize you can’t change what you wanted to change.

Paper stocks and weights that actually matter

This is where that spring 2023 disaster happened. My client Sarah ordered 110lb cardstock when she really needed the 130lb for the style she wanted and the invitations just felt flimsy and cheap when they arrived. Greenisland offers like five different paper weights and three different finishes and honestly most people don’t need all those options.

Here’s what I usually recommend: if you’re doing a formal wedding go with 130lb cardstock minimum. It feels substantial when people hold it. For casual weddings or save-the-dates you can get away with 110lb. The 80lb option exists but I don’t know why because it feels like regular printer paper.

The finishes are matte, glossy, or textured (they call it “linen”). Matte is always safe. Glossy can look cheap if the design isn’t right for it. Textured adds like $0.30 per invitation but it does feel nicer in your hand. Your call on whether that’s worth it for 150 invitations.

Customization process walkthrough

So you found a design you like now what. Click on it and you’ll see their customization tool which is… okay it works but it’s not intuitive. The interface looks like it hasn’t been updated since 2015 or something.

You’ll have text boxes that you can click into and edit. Here’s where people mess up: they just start typing without reading the character limits. Greenisland has character limits on most text boxes and they don’t always make it obvious when you’ve hit them. The text just stops appearing. Then you’re wondering why your venue address got cut off halfway through.

Font choices are limited to whatever the template designer chose which is honestly fine because too many font options makes people go crazy. I had a groom once who wanted to use seven different fonts on one invitation and I was like nah we’re not doing that. Greenisland saves you from yourself in that way.

Colors can be customized on most designs. They use a color picker tool that shows you Pantone equivalents which is actually really helpful if you’re trying to match wedding colors exactly. Pro tip: order a sample first if color matching is critical because what you see on your screen is NOT always what you get printed.

The sample situation

Speaking of samples, Greenisland does this thing where you can order a sample of any design for like $3 or something. Always do this. Always. I cannot stress this enough. The sample comes printed with generic text so you can see the actual paper quality and color.

What you can’t get is a sample of YOUR specific customization without paying for a full proof which runs about $25-40 depending on the design. Is it worth it? Depends on how much you’ve customized. If you just changed names and dates probably not. If you’ve moved things around and picked custom colors definitely get the proof.

My cat just knocked over my coffee cup while I’m writing this which is perfect timing because it reminds me to tell you that Greenisland’s turnaround time includes processing time AND shipping so factor that in. They say 10-12 business days but that’s from when they start printing not from when you order.

Envelope options and addressing

Envelopes come free with most invitation orders which is nice. You get white or ivory standard. If you want colored envelopes or fancy liners that’s extra. The envelope liners are actually pretty affordable compared to other companies, usually adds about $50-75 to an order of 100 invitations.

For addressing you have three options with Greenisland. You can hand address them yourself which is free but time consuming. You can print labels which nobody really does anymore because it looks kinda cheap. Or you can pay for their guest addressing service.

Their guest addressing service is… fine. It’s not calligraphy it’s just nice printed addressing. You upload a spreadsheet with all your addresses and they print directly onto the envelopes. Costs about $1 per envelope I think? Maybe $1.25 now with inflation. The font choices are limited to like four options and they’re all pretty standard.

If you want actual calligraphy you gotta hire someone separately because Greenisland doesn’t offer that. They used to partner with a calligrapher but I think that ended in 2022 or something.

The spreadsheet upload process deserves its own section honestly

Because this is where people really struggle. Greenisland wants your addresses in a specific Excel format. They have a template you download but people still mess it up constantly. The columns have to be labeled exactly right: First Name, Last Name, Address Line 1, Address Line 2, City, State, ZIP.

If you have international addresses it gets weird because their system is really built for US addresses. You kinda have to fudge it by putting the whole international address in the Address Line 1 and Address Line 2 fields and leaving the State field blank or putting the country there.

Also their system doesn’t automatically add “Mr. and Mrs.” or handle plus-ones well. You have to type out exactly how you want each envelope to read in the First Name field. So like “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith” all goes in that one field. It’s not elegant but it works.

Pricing structure and where the costs add up

Base invitation prices on Greenisland start around $1.50 per invitation for simple designs and go up to like $4-5 for the fancy ones. That’s just for the invitation itself printed on standard cardstock with basic customization.

Then you start adding things and the price climbs. Upgraded paper stock adds $0.30-0.75 per invite. Envelope liners add $0.50-0.75. Guest addressing adds about $1. Belly bands or ribbon adds $0.85. Before you know it your $1.50 invitation is actually $4 per invite.

What really gets people is the à la carte nature of everything. You want RSVP cards? That’s separate. You want reception cards? Separate. You want directions cards? Also separate. Each piece is priced individually so a “complete invitation suite” can easily run $8-10 per guest when you add it all up.

They do offer bundled packages sometimes which can save you maybe 10-15% but the bundles are only for specific design collections so you might not find one that works for your style.

Quantity breaks and minimum orders

Minimum order is usually 25 invitations which is pretty standard. The pricing breaks happen at 50, 100, 150, and 200. The difference between ordering 100 and 125 is basically nothing per piece but jumping from 75 to 100 saves you like $0.40 per invitation.

So if you think you need 95 invitations just order 100. The price difference is minimal and you’ll want the extras anyway for keepsakes or last-minute additions. I always tell clients to order 10-15% more than they think they need.

Proofing timeline and approval process

After you submit your order Greenisland sends a digital proof within 24-48 hours usually. This is just a PDF showing exactly what they’re gonna print. You need to check EVERYTHING on this proof because once you approve it they’re printing and you can’t make changes.

Check for typos obviously but also check spacing, alignment, and that all your text is actually showing up. Sometimes text gets cut off and you don’t notice until you see the proof. Check date formats because different regions do dates differently and their system might have defaulted to something weird.

You get one round of revisions included with most orders. If you need more than that they charge like $15 per additional revision which adds up if you’re indecisive. Just… take your time with that first proof and get it right or at least close to right.

The approval process is simple you just click a button in the email they send. Once you approve they start printing within 1-2 business days and then it’s the 10-12 day production timeline.

Shipping and what to expect when the box arrives

Greenisland ships everything flat in sturdy boxes which is good. I’ve had orders from other companies show up bent or damaged but Greenisland packs things well. They use FedEx or UPS usually, not USPS, which means you might need to sign for delivery.

When your box arrives open it immediately and check everything. You have like 5 days to report any printing errors or damaged items. After that you’re kinda out of luck unless something is really obviously their fault.

The invitations will be bundled in groups of 25 usually with rubber bands. The envelopes come separately even if you ordered them together. If you got envelope liners they come unattached and you have to stick them in yourself which is tedious but whatever.

What to do if something’s wrong

If there’s a printing error or the color is way off from what you expected contact their customer service immediately. Take photos. Be specific about what’s wrong. Their customer service is actually pretty responsive during business hours, usually get back to you within a few hours.

They’ll either offer a reprint or a partial refund depending on the situation. Reprints take another 10-12 days obviously so factor that into your timeline. This is why you order invitations like 4 months before the wedding not 6 weeks before.

If you just changed your mind about the design or made a mistake in your text that’s on you and they won’t reprint for free. Read your proofs carefully people.

Extra items and coordinating pieces

Greenisland offers thank you cards, programs, menus, place cards, table numbers, and all that stuff in matching designs. The coordination is nice if you want everything to look cohesive but you’re gonna pay for it.

Programs and menus are usually printed on lighter weight paper like 80lb or 100lb because people aren’t keeping them. That’s fine. Place cards come on heavier cardstock because they need to stand up. Table numbers can be ordered as flat cards or tent cards.

Honestly for some of these items you might save money going with a different vendor or DIYing them. Like table numbers are so easy to make yourself if you have a decent printer… but if you want everything to match exactly then Greenisland makes it easy to order it all in one place.

They also do save the dates obviously. Same customization process as invitations. Same paper options. I usually recommend simpler designs for save the dates because you’re mailing them 8-10 months before the wedding and spending $4 each on save the dates is kinda excessive when a $1.50 postcard does the same job.

Timeline planning with Greenisland orders

Work backwards from your mail date. If you want invitations in guests’ hands 8 weeks before the wedding you need to mail them at least 10 weeks out to be safe. Add 2 weeks for production and shipping. Add another week for addressing assembly. That’s 13 weeks before the wedding that you need to place your order.

But you also need time to finalize your guest list and get all the addresses which can take forever because someone’s cousin never responds to your Facebook message about their new address and then you’re chasing people down. So really you should be starting the Greenisland ordering process 16-18 weeks before the wedding.

Rush options exist but they’re expensive. Like they’ll do a 5-day turnaround for an extra $150 or something. Not worth it unless you absolutely have to. Just plan ahead and you’re fine.

For save the dates I recommend ordering those 12-14 months before the wedding so you can mail them 10-12 months out. Gives people time to request time off work and book travel if needed.