Dolores Catania and Paulie Connell are engaged! The Real Housewives of New Jersey mom of two and her longtime love are tying the knot and sharing the details of Paulie’s proposal to her, nearly five years after they met.
The Ireland native popped the question to Dolores at the Apple Store in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, on Nov. 10, according to People. This happens to be the exact store that they met at in 2021, which marked the start of their romance. “I didn’t want anything over-the-top and staged because we’re a humble couple,” Paulie explained to the publication. “I wanted it to feel grounded and natural and organic. Plus, I wanted the element of surprise. And believe me, I had the element of surprise.”
Dolores admitted to the publication that she “had not a clue at all” that she was getting engaged.
Paulie, who finalized his divorce from his ex-wife earlier this year, asked Dolores to marry him with an 11-carat diamond engagement ring surrounded by four more carats of princess-cut diamonds, set on a silver band from John Anthony Jewelers in Edgewater, New Jersey.
Dolores Catania reveals her reaction to Paul “Paulie” Connell’s engagement
Dolores even admitted to thinking that something was wrong with Paulie, based on how he was acting when he got to the Apple Store. “He was sweating so bad, his T-shirt was soaked, his face was beet red. And you know how people say weird things when they’re having a stroke?” she recounted.
RELATED: See Dolores Catania and Paulie’s Bold Relationship Update: “YES…” (PHOTOS)
She continued, “He started saying these sweet, beautiful things to me out of nowhere and I was like, ‘Paul, are you OK? And then I realized he was proposing.”
When are Dolores Catania and Paulie Connell getting married?
The couple told the publication that they are in “no rush” to walk down the aisle and say “I do.” But, Dolores does have an idea of when she wants to get married, which will be after her son, Frankie Catania, gets married.
“There’s no rush,” Dolores said. “The way we’ve set our life up, we can do things however and whenever we want to do them. And I don’t do things based on what people think I should do. I’ve never done that. Just ask my friends!”
“I’d love to get married the day we got engaged, because November has been a sentimental month for me, but we’re both so excited right now that we really want to enjoy this moment and absorb this all in,” Paulie explained. “Plus, we have Frankie’s wedding coming up, we’re talking about moving into a new house, and of course, Dolores and I will want the wedding to be a perfect experience. So we’ll get there when the time is right.”
Dolores Catania and Paulie Connell share new details on their relationship
The couple also opened up to the publication about their love, gushing over their admiration for each other. “You know when you feel that happiness down to your gut?” Dolores asked. “That’s where this excitement stems from for me. I feel so blessed, I almost feel guilty! Like, I don’t deserve to be loved this way.”
RELATED: Who Is Dolores Catania’s Boyfriend, Paul Connell? Meet the EntrepreneurÂ
“I keep telling Dolores she deserves that and so much more,” Paulie noted. “She’s an incredible woman. And when I was proposing to her, I was able to articulate everything I see that she is, and everything I see that she does, and the impact she has on everyone around her. She’s one in a million.”
See reactions to Dolores Catania’s engagement to Paul Connell
Several of Dolores’ friends and mebers of the Bravo family took to the Instagram post where they announced their engagement, and shared their well wishes for the happy couple. “So happy for you both!” The Real Housewives of Orange County‘s Tamra Judge wrote.
“Congratulations my loves!!!” Jenn Fessler added, while Rachel Fuda echoed Tamra. “Yaaaaaaay so happy for you both!!!!!” she wrote.
“Yassssss! Our Dolo is getting married!” Danielle Cabral exclaimed.
Dolores’ ex-husband, Frank Catania Sr., reacts to her and Paulie Connell’s engagement
Dolores’ ex-husband and the father of her two kids, Frank Catania Sr., also left his own supportive message to the happy couple on Instagram. “Congratulations,” he wrote in the comments of the post. (Frank is a newlywed himself having married to his wife, Brittany, in 2024.) “We are so happy for you guys and can’t wait to celebrate. Love you guys.”
Learn more about Paulie, his romance with Dolores, and why they’ve always been “serious” about their relationship.
