Derrick and Trenée West wanted a romantic destination wedding on Lake Como, Italy. But they didn’t want to go into debt to do it.
The couple, who hail from Virginia, figured that as long as they found the right Italian suppliers, they could stay on-budget.
“I did extensive research to find vendors and venues,” says Derrick. He found local photographers, musicians, and even a classic, wooden boat driver whose prices were reasonable. 
But when he started to pay these people, Derrick realized there was another big obstacle that the couple would have to overcome.
“I didn’t think twice about it and went straight to my bank,” Derrick recalls. “To my dismay…it was approximately $65-70 per transaction.”
Paying high fees, and getting a bad exchange rate on each transaction was going to quickly eat away at their budget.
So Derrick did some more research.
“I knew there had to be a more cost effective way to send money to Italy,” he says. “That’s when I fell in love with TransferWise.”
TransferWise gave the Wests the real exchange rate and very low fees. So they were able to send money to their chosen vendors at a fraction of the cost their bank was charging.
But as anyone who’s ever hosted a wedding knows, paying for it is just one potential headache. Organizing it is another. TransferWise was a help there, too.
“The app was easy to use and it stored recipients information,” Derrick explains. “That made future transactions with that vendor so much quicker and convenient.” Derrick and Trenee were able to focus on what mattered most to them: beautiful photos and videos that will last them a lifetime. Not to mention Trenée’s custom-designed Jean-Ralph Thurin gown.
“TransferWise did more than make our destination wedding more organized, affordable, and stress-free,” Derrick says. “It made it possible!”
