While studying for finals in the library at Colby College, Tracy Kolakowski and Michael King were introduced by one of Michael’s basketball teammates. The two spent the entire evening sitting across from each other, but neither Tracy nor Michael was able to concentrate on work. Seven years after their meeting in the library, Michael planned a surprise engagement for Tracy at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan, where Tracy had previously worked as an assistant restaurant manager. While Tracy was at her Montessori certification class, Michael collaborated with her former colleagues to prepare a special evening for the two of them. When Tracy arrived at the hotel, Michael popped the question, and then she began to cry—so much so that she could barely see the ring. “Does this mean you’ll marry me?” asked Michael that night.
The Reverend Brandi Wolf Drake married the couple at Noroton Presbyterian Church in Darien. A reception followed at the Stamford Yacht Club. The couple’s family and friends traveled from as far away as Ireland and Hong Kong to celebrate with the newlyweds.
The daughter of Pamela and Daniel Kolakowski of Darien, the bride is a graduate of Darien High School and Colby College, where she received a degree in sociology. She also received her masters from New York University in early childhood and special education. She is currently a Montessori preschool teacher at the West Side Montessori School in New York City.
The groom is the son of Elizabeth Donovan and Robert King of Elmhurst, Illinois. Michael received his BA in government from Colby College and is now a vice president in the Citi Transaction Services business at Citigroup in Manhattan. Tracy and Michael honeymooned in Italy and currently reside in New York City.