A family-owned boutique hotel in the lush Boyne Valley, the Station House Hotel was the beautiful venue for medical scientist Magda Kobielus' wedding to account executive Keith Dawson on the 18th of May 2024. Photographed by Livia Figueiredo, be prepared to fall in love with their extra-special wedding party member!
Even though they both attended the same university, Madga and Keith met at the height of the dating app boom in 2017. On their first date, the two went to Alfies in Dublin, and it went well enough that Keith asked for a second date on their walk to the bus stop. "We were dating for a couple of months, and I was introduced as his girlfriend one day. After that, I kept teasing him that he hadn’t officially asked me to be his girlfriend. Then he asked me to marry him, so I couldn’t use that card anymore!"
"The proposal happened in October 2022 when we were visiting New Orleans; Keith had a plan. He woke me up early in the morning under the pretence of avoiding the Café Du Monde queues, though I was reluctant to get up so early on holidays. As we walked through Jackson Square Park, Keith got on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was a perfect moment, as the park was empty and he knew I wouldn’t like the attention. Afterwards, we celebrated with the famous Beignet and coffee."
"Having a science background, I felt confident in my established skincare routine and focused on being extra consistent rather than introducing new products. However, I did visit the Institute of Dermatology and have had a few IPL sessions and micro-needling done to address sun spots and boost collagen production." The couple chose each other’s wedding scents and exchanged them on the morning of the wedding; Magda picked Aventus by Creed for Keith, and he decided on Lá Bealtaine by Cloon and Keen.
"The idea of finding the perfect dress was overwhelming as I never really knew what ‘the one’ would look like. I started researching a few bridal stores online and listed the places I wanted to visit. The White and Gold Bridal in Howth stood out for its variety of different styles and unique designers. After trying on a few different styles, I knew that Alexandra Grecco would be the right designer for me. The last dress I tried on that day was the Prisma; the fabric was so unique and classy at the same time. We were hoping for an outside ceremony, and this dress had almost a pearlescent glow in the sunlight. I loved the silky fabric so much that I got a bow and bandana made from off-cuts for our dog Nola to wear on the wedding day."
Keith knew from the start that he wanted to wear a tuxedo, which made things easier. One weekend, the pair both went out to town, and he ended up getting his outfit at Protocol for Men on Dawson Street.
Since both Madga and Keith have only one sibling, they decided to keep the wedding party small. "My sister, Sabina, played a significant role, offering great support both during the planning and on the big day itself. I let her choose her dress, which made things much easier for me, and she could honestly wear what she liked."
"We got our dream weather (Big thanks to the child of Prague!) and were able to have an outdoor ceremony. The setting was unique; we stood inside the old train turnabout, surrounded by nature and our closest friends and family. At the end of our ceremony, we incorporated a Polish tradition, where the newlyweds are welcomed with bread, salt and two shot glasses- one filled with water and one with vodka. The tradition suggests that whoever picks the vodka will be ‘in charge’ in the marriage. This was a fun and memorable element that the guests very much enjoyed!"
The Station House Hotel was the only venue we visited. Magda loves trains, so she was sold early on. "We knew we wanted to have Nola there, so an outdoor venue was our non-negotiable. The ground, buildings, and sense of history perfectly matched the relaxed, summer party vibe celebration we envisioned."
"We had a fabulous Jazz singer, Stella Bass, for our ceremony to match our engagement in New Orleans. Then, we had the Pink Champagne band and DJ for the evening reception until the early hours."
Regarding the best decision, Madga said, "The outside drinks reception, along with the famous Teddy’s ice cream, was by far the best decision. It allowed for such a perfect stress-free atmosphere, and who doesn’t love a '99’ and champagne combo?!"
Regarding the worst decision, Madga said, "There is certainly nothing we would not have changed about the day. However, I did manage to put Keith’s wedding band on the wrong hand, so we might have to do it all again."
- Gráinne