Dolores Catania is an engaged woman, but her engagement ring is not the original one planned by her fiancé, Paul Connell.
As “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star announced her engagement to her longtime boyfriend, he shared details on the 15-carat sparkler he presented her during his proposal at an Apple store in New Jersey.
“I had bought a stone early on into dating Dolores, thinking, ‘If we get engaged, I’ll use this,’” Connell told People magazine of his original ring idea. “But then over the years of getting to know Dolores better, she started talking to me about what she liked and I realized, it was opposite of what I got. So I went back to the drawing board.”
Connell revealed that he purchased the new ring, which boasts an 11-carat center and four carats around it, from John Anthony Jewelers in Edgewater, New Jersey.
Connell has long said he planned to propose to Catania once his divorce from his ex-wife, Joanne, was finalized. He previously revealed that he bought a special stone for Catania – and that she was with him when he bought it.
In a December 2024 interview with In Touch Weekly, Connell said, “I have the ring, I’ve always had the [ring]. I had the stone… I bought the stone a long time ago with her, I knew what she liked.”
Once his divorce was finalized, after a five-year process, Connell told The Daily Mail he had plans to pop the question to Catania. “I have the ring. I have it in my possession,” he told the outlet in February 2025. “I’ve always had the stone. I got the ring made. It is absolutely stunning. So I can go at any time. There’s nothing that’s going to push or prevent me from doing it now because I have free stage. But the emphasis of surprise is always the best thing.”
Connell pulled off the surprise by giving Catania a completely unexpected ring.
Connell also had to get approval from Catania’s ex-husband, Frank. The exes, who share children Gabrielle and Frankie Jr., remain very close, and Frank Sr. is also very protective of Dolores.
During a “Real Housewives of New Jersey” Season 13 episode that aired in May 2023, Frank grilled Connell about his relationship with Dolores and where it was going. According to E! News, after Frank asked him, “Does she tell you what kind of ring she wants?” Connell replied, “I already have it!”
Following Dolores Catania and Paul Connell’s engagement announcement, Frank posted a congratulatory message to them on Instagram. “Congratulations we are so happy for you guys and can’t wait to celebrate. Love you guys,” he wrote to the RHONJ couple.
Brielle Biermann is so in love with her fiancé, Billy Seidl, and finding so many reasons to celebrate their romance. Kim Zolciak’s eldest daughter has been engaged to her baseball-playing beau since February 2024, and just celebrated yet another milestone with him.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta daughter took to Instagram on Billy’s birthday, Sunday, Nov. 9, where she gave a major look inside of their relationship today. She first posted a professionally taken photo of herswlf and Billy, standing together on a beach, as the ocean waves crashed behind them. “Happy birthday to my whole heart,” she wrote in the caption of the post. “I love you William!! Forever dancing with you.”
Billy then took to the comments of the post, where he returned the love to Brielle. “I love you,” he wrote with a white heart emoji.
Brielle also took to her Instagram Story that same day, where she continued to give an intimate look at their relationship. She first posted three photos of herself and her “love.” “Happpppppy Birthdaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy to my love!!!!!!!!!!” she wrote.
She also shared photos of them buying ice cream at the grocery store, exploring a hotel together, and hanging out at the club. “ILYSM!!!!” she captioned the Story.
“To more adventures! (Like getting caught buying a ton of ice cream at Whole Foods) & spontaneous trips to new cities,” she added
Brielle shared even more insight into her relationship with Billy when she appeared on Reginae Carter’s YouTube show, Heir Time, on Sept. 4. She admitted that she was first attracted to Billy because of “his ass” when she met him in the Bahamas years ago. “We spent that whole day together, he was so chivalrous, so kind…and I’ve never seen that, especially from a younger man,” she admitted. “I was so shook. At the end of that night, I knew he was the one.”
She continued, admitting that her parents’ ongoing divorce made her approach her relationship differently. “Finding out all the s—t I did about my family a couple weeks prior really changed things for me,” she said. “And honestly, looking back, I feel like I had to go through that to get here.”
Brielle and Billy are currently planning their wedding and have made some major progress on it. Brielle revealed in early October that she had secured a wedding venue and wedding date during a trip to Naples, Florida.
Later in the month, she took to her Instagram feed, where she posted a Reel documenting this trip. In the video, Brielle can be seen reuniting with her mom and younger sister,