This gorgeous wedding on Clare Island proves that you don't have to travel abroad to have a beach wedding.

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Today's real wedding is proof that a beach wedding doesn't require a foreign destination. Aine and Stephen show that an Irish beach wedding can be the ultimate blend of tradition and personality and all with a truly stunning backdrop. Choosing to celebrate their day in Clare Island in Mayo, the venue was the ultimate nod to how it all started for them. Andrew Kilfeather Photography was there to capture the whole thing, and as you'll see, this beach wedding in Ireland was a wonderful celebration of love...

Aine and Stephen met back in 2014 in the seaside town of Bundoran at a gig where they ended up sharing their first kiss. However, the pair went their separate ways afterwards, not seeing each other for months before another chance encounter in the same bar in Bundoran.

As for the proposal, Stephen roped in Aine's mum for help with his plan. "I asked Aine's mum to help me find a ring and she found a beautiful antique ring,' Stephen told us. "To be honest, I wouldn't have had a clue what to look for and whatever I would have bought she would have exchanged it. We went to Belmullet in my campervan and as we were leaving, I grabbed the ring. On our way home, we stopped at Downpatrick and headed to the cliffs. I found a nice quiet spot and got down on one knee - the wrong one - before placing the ring on the wrong hand. The whole ordeal was terrifying to be honest!"

When it came to the wedding planning, the couple had a little help from an unusual source. "We were a chosen couple for the RTE show My Big Day: Home or Away so we were extremely lucky to have Bruce Russell and Tara Fay as our wedding planners. We gave them a brief and they found the perfect location and venue in Clare Island. We were looking for something different and having a beach wedding was exactly what we were looking for. There were kayaks and big pieces of driftwood being used as seating, some guests weren't wearing shoes and if I'd known the weather would have been so nice, I would have worn shorts," Stephen admitted.

The couple fell in love with their venue pretty immediately and despite taking a gamble on a beach wedding in Ireland, never looked back. "Instantly we knew this was the place for us," Stephen said. "The venue is spectacular and has stunning views looking over Clew Bay. The food was sourced locally and everything just seemed right. We felt a connection with the island and I knew this was the place for us. It was magical!"

The weather was threatening the morning of the wedding and with the ceremony due to take place outside, the couple was understandably nervous. However, once the ceremony started, the sun came out with some of the guests even concerned about their need for more SPF.

And while the location was a total winner, the pair said it was having their nearest and dearest around them that made the day special. "Having your friends and family with you celebrating your wedding day on an island is something I will never forget. Everybody went above and beyond to even get there and the help from the people of Clare Island will not be forgotten."

At a time when wedding plans are ever-changing, Aine and Stephen have some advice that can be applied to many other aspects of planning. "Make sure you have a plan 'B' if you are getting married outdoors," they say. "As a wedding videographer myself I have been in many different scenarios and after going through the process myself, the only advice is to enjoy the day as much as you can. The day is a whirlwind and it is only when you go back and look at your photos and videos you begin to remember parts of the day."