JEFF GRANIT staff After arriving in downtown Freehold dressed as a knight, Tim Moore proposes to Tricia Michalski as (l-r) Paul Chalakani, Barbara DePasquale, Eric Chalakani and Tara DiPianta watch the memorable moment. Horseman rides down
Main St., Freehold; stops
to make proposal
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer
News flash, ladies: Romance is definitely not dead — not in Freehold Borough anyway. Tricia Michalski was given what most girls think about their entire life — a wedding proposal straight out of Hollywood — and she got the fairy tale.
JEFF GRANIT staff Led by horse trainer Melissa Johnson, Tim Moore arrives on Main Street, Freehold Borough, dressed as a knight in shining armor to propose to his girlfriend, Tricia Michalski. In the tradition of “Pretty Woman” and “Romancing the Stone,” Tim Moore, 40, of Freehold Township, not only matched Richard Gere and Michael Douglas in their very romantic leading roles, he surpassed their sentiments because this was real life, not a celluloid imitation.
Shortly after noon on June 2, Moore appeared on horseback on East Main Street dressed as a knight in shining armor to propose marriage to the love of his life in front of the Metropolitan Cafe. He appeared in front of the cafe much to the surprise of his girlfriend, who had no idea of the planning and scheming Moore had to go through to pull off this romantic feat.
Michalski, 34, was sitting with several of her co-workers from Mid-Point Health Care Service, Freehold, and her boss, Paul Chalakani, waiting to order lunch for their “lunch meeting,” which, of course, was all a ruse. Chalakani had known about the plan for more than a month as did Tricia’s parents, Carol and Eddie Maciorowski, of the New Egypt section of Plumsted.
In fact, a lot of people knew about the plan, yet Moore still managed to surprise his love with a movie-like wedding proposal in front of her friends and family.
After arriving at the restaurant, Moore carefully got down from the horse while Melissa Johnson, a trainer at Tall Oaks Farms, Howell, took care of Sir Samson.
On bended knee, amid two dozen freshly delivered white and red roses from Especially for You Florist, Moore asked Michalski to be his wife.
Everyone held their breath.
What if she said no?
No chance.
Moore arranged the elaborate proposal because Michalski constantly refers to him as her “knight in shining armor.”
She said he has “rescued” her many times over the seven years they have known each other. The last three of those seven years have been spent dating each other. There was no way she was not going to want to spend the rest of her life with him. She also referred to him as her “best friend.”
“She always calls me her knight in shining armor, so I went with it,” Moore said. “This time it’s going to work.”
Tim and Tricia have both been married before. Tricia has one son, Matthew, 7. Tim, who is a carpenter by trade, has a son, Jake, 7, and a daughter, Allison, 5.
“Going for it” involved being turned down by several horse farm owners who
said they could not do what Moore was asking.
But Stephen Barr, the owner of Tall Oaks Farms, agreed to be a part of the memorable wedding proposal, and Moore is very grateful he said yes. Moore even had to take a couple of horseback riding lessons since he had never ridden a horse before the big day.
Barr said his wife, Kyna, encouraged him to go along with the idea.
“You have to help Tim,” Kyna told her husband. “For the romance.”
Barr said he “just couldn’t say no.”
Moore also thanked Dave Rylak and Jeff Brunner of Vulcan Forge, Plumsted, for providing the costume, and the Metropolitan Cafe for accommodating the event.
Several weeks ago, unbeknown to Michalski, Moore visited her parents at their New Egypt home to ask for their daughter’s hand in marriage. He then told them about his plan. Of course they said yes to both the marriage and their participation in the surprise.
The Maciorowskis said they are very happy about the upcoming marriage and said they could not have picked a better man than Moore for their daughter.
Passers-by on Main Street on the warm, sunny afternoon of June 2 opted to hang around a bit and watch the romance happen. After all, how often do people in downtown Freehold get a chance to see a man dressed in a knight’s battle gear riding a horse on East Main Street?
The couple sealed their moment with a kiss and a hug, while the others at the table moved aside to allow them a moment alone.
After the kiss, everyone assumed Tricia said yes, although no one could hear her answer. But those in attendance watched as Moore, on bended knee, placed a beautiful diamond ring on her very shaky ring finger.
The couple, who live in Freehold Township, are planning to move into a new home in Manchester in July. They are talking about getting married on an island somewhere — something small and private, this time around.
The moral of this “Cinderella” story?
Love and romance are still alive and well … just ask Tricia Michalski.