Today, we're bringing you a lesson in weddings, and by that I mean we're taking you back to school - no really! This amazing couple, Claire and David, chose to have their wedding reception in the sports hall of a school in Co. Donegal, one that they have a very special connection to! With tantalising oranges and duck egg blues, steam trains and epic handmade roof installations, this wedding was a feast for the eyes. So get ready for a back-to-school moment that you're going to love! Captured by the wonderful Mairéad from Remain in Light Photography, this is one school hall wedding we won't forget in a hurry!

We asked the couple how they met because of course, we love a good love story! Claire tells us that the pair actually met when they worked at the same architect's office in Dublin, but it was a few years before sparks began to fly! After attending a mutual colleague's film screening, they found themselves "in a different environment and saw one another in a different light!" Claire tells us, "We kept things quiet from our workmates for a couple of months, until we were confident things were going well and surprised them with the news at the Christmas dinner night out. Needless to say, they made us pay for not telling them sooner!"

Claire tells us that David popped the question while the couple were in Donegal, visiting from London. "David spotted an opportunity to ask my dad, Eamon, whether he’d have any objections to a marriage proposal. His response was, “Oh aye, dead on, dead on…”, so David took this as a yes! Then we went for a swim followed by a pizza with my eldest sister in Dunfanaghy. On the drive back to Letterkenny, it was already getting dark and David made some excuse about taking a quick detour to Marble Hill beach to see if The Shack was still open for a coffee. It definitely wasn’t open, but the excuse to get out and walk on the beach was made. It was there on the beach that David started to ask the all-important question and wasn’t even allowed to finish before getting an affirmative!"

While many couples host their wedding in a venue with special meaning to them, few can say they actually designed the building themselves! Yes, Claire and David both worked on the design for Colásite Ailigh secondary school in Co. Donegal! "It seemed fitting that the building that resulted in our meeting would be the place where we celebrated our wedding," Claire says. "It also happened to coincidentally be located in my home town, just a few minutes from my parent’s house."

Claire describes their big day as a wedding "in two parts. The first part was at the established, beautiful surroundings of Oakfield Park. Though it was their first wedding ceremony in the park, they took it all in their stride. The second part was about bringing everyone back to the school that we worked on together as architects. We transformed the main hall with a lot of time and effort and cooperation from the community, into a great room for a meal and a party."

The couple's top priority for their day was that it would be really personal and specific to them. "We thought it was important to have the things that mattered to us as part of the wedding and not simply to go along with traditions or tropes because of others’ expectations, norms or habits," Claire says.

The couple had a special musical performance on the day. Claire tells us, "My youngest cousin on my mum’s side, Leo, was a fantastic singer during the ceremony in Oakfield Park. He was 14 at the time!"

Claire went for a mix-and-match look for her bridesmaids dresses, which we think is so gorgeous! How sweet to have your pals be your "something blue"!?

I just love the contrast between the nature-filled portraits taken at Oakfield Park, and the more industrial ones taken at the school, which you'll see shortly. This couple got the best of both worlds!

Claire's stunning wedding dress is by Tara Lauren and features the loveliest, most timeless silhouette!

It looks like David’s niece and nephew stole the show on the day! Claire tells us, "Jenny was 3 and Jake was 5 at the time."

Claire and David's advice for engaged couples is, "Don’t be afraid to deviate from the expected norms. Say no if it doesn’t make sense or you’re not convinced by what someone is suggesting. Do involve your friends and family, especially if they have time they could spare to help you out. Working together on something unusual and interesting can bring people together and even smooth the process of being embraced into your new in-law family!"

We just had to ask the couple for more details on this amazing installation! Claire tells us, "We calculated that the weight of all the coloured, felt butterflies and the 12m-wide and 17m-long netting needed the uplift provided by 150 large helium balloons. The final configuration and phasing of the installation was completed a couple of days before the wedding - this was a nerve-wracking experiment and it worked! The whole decoration floated above the dining tables and was fully self-supporting - not held up by the roof structure - and was only tethered at the sides to stop it moving too much or floating away! We also loved that we could change our guests' perceptions of what’s possible in using school buildings."

After the wedding, the couple stayed in Donegal to spend time with family who had travelled overseas for their big day. Claire tells us, "We then spent a lovely, relaxing week in Northern Italy – Lake Como – and went to Vals in Switzerland, and stayed in the 7132 Therme baths for a few nights. We would highly recommend."

Thanks so much to Claire and David for sharing their gorgeous school hall wedding with us, and to Mairéad from Remain in Light for providing the beautiful imagery! There are even more photographs to swoon over in the gallery below.