{"id":8721,"date":"2025-11-14T15:28:29","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T15:28:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/paul-connell-of-the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey-has-revealed-the-reason-behind-his-decision-to-replace-the-original-engagement-ring-intended-for-dolores-catania-2\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T15:28:29","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T15:28:29","slug":"paul-connell-of-the-real-housewives-of-new-jersey-has-revealed-the-reason-behind-his-decision-to-replace-the-original-engagement-ring-intended-for-dolores-catania-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/?p=8721","title":{"rendered":"Paul Connell of The Real Housewives of New Jersey has revealed the reason behind his decision to replace the original engagement ring intended for Dolores Catania."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Paul<\/p>\n

Dolores Catania\u00a0is an engaged woman, but her engagement ring is not the original one planned by her fianc\u00e9, Paul Connell.<\/p>\n

As\u00a0\u201cThe Real Housewives of New Jersey\u201d\u00a0\u00a0star\u00a0announced her engagement\u00a0to her longtime boyfriend, he shared details on the 15-carat sparkler he presented her during his proposal at an Apple store in New Jersey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had bought a stone early on into dating Dolores, thinking, \u2018If we get engaged, I\u2019ll use this,\u2019\u201d Connell\u00a0told People magazine\u00a0of his original ring idea. \u201cBut 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connell revealed that he purchased the new ring, which boasts an 11-carat center and four carats around it, from\u00a0John Anthony Jewelers\u00a0in Edgewater, New Jersey.<\/p>\n

Connell has long said he planned to propose to Catania once his divorce from his ex-wife, Joanne, was finalized.\u00a0He previously revealed that he bought a special stone for Catania \u2013 and that she was with him when he bought it.<\/p>\n

In a December 2024 interview\u00a0with In Touch Weekly,\u00a0Connell said, \u201cI have the ring, I\u2019ve always had the [ring]. I had the stone\u2026 I bought the stone a long time ago with her, I knew what she liked.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once his divorce was finalized, after a five-year process, Connell\u00a0told The Daily Mail\u00a0he had plans to pop the question to Catania. \u201cI have the ring. I have it in my possession,\u201d he told the outlet in February 2025. \u201cI\u2019ve always had the stone. I got the ring made. It is absolutely stunning. So I can go at any time. There\u2019s nothing that\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connell pulled off the surprise by giving Catania a completely unexpected ring.<\/p>\n

Connell also had to get approval from Catania\u2019s ex-husband, Frank. The exes, who share children Gabrielle and Frankie Jr., remain very close, and Frank Sr. is also very protective of Dolores.<\/p>\n

During a \u201cReal Housewives of New Jersey\u201d Season 13 episode that aired in May 2023, Frank grilled Connell about his relationship with Dolores and where it was going.\u00a0According to E! News, after\u00a0Frank asked him, \u201cDoes she tell you what kind of ring she wants?\u201d Connell replied, \u201cI already have it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Following Dolores Catania and Paul Connell\u2019s engagement announcement, Frank posted a congratulatory message to them\u00a0on Instagram. \u00a0\u201cCongratulations we are so happy for you guys and can\u2019t wait to celebrate. Love you guys,\u201d he wrote to the RHONJ couple.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0RHONJ<\/em>\u00a0star and reigning\u00a0Traitors<\/em>\u00a0champ announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend Paulie Connell after nearly five years of dating. The couple shared the exciting news with\u00a0PEOPLE<\/em>,\u00a0revealing that Paulie popped the question at a place that holds special meaning for them \u2014 the Apple Store in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey \u2014 where they first met.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could have proposed on a yacht in Greece. I could have rented a grand hall, invited 400 people and asked her to marry me with fireworks in the background. But that\u2019s not who we are,\u201d Connell told\u00a0<\/p>\n

While his comments sound heartfelt and romantic, Bravo fans were quick to notice that the Dublin native\u2019s \u201cnot in Greece, no fireworks\u201d line sure sounds like a subtle dig at Louie Ruelas \u2014 who famously proposed to Teresa Giudice with a grand fireworks display during their luxe trip to Greece back in 2021.<\/p>\n

Connell\u2019s emphasis on humility and simplicity contrasts sharply with Louie\u2019s headline-making extravagance \u2014 and fans didn\u2019t miss the irony. After all, both couples hail from the\u00a0Real Housewives of New Jersey<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/em>\u00a0universe, where grand gestures (and drama) are practically a love language.<\/p>\n

Still, Dolores and Paulie\u2019s engagement sounds like a genuine, down-to-earth moment between two people who\u2019ve taken their time to build something real. Dolores, 54, told\u00a0<\/p>\n

The proposal itself caught Dolores completely off guard \u2014 she thought she was headed to an interview, not a proposal. \u201cHe started saying these sweet, beautiful things to me out of nowhere and I was like, \u2018Paul, are you okay?\u2019 And then I realized he was proposing,\u201d she joked.<\/p>\n

From the Apple Store to BravoCon \u2014 this\u00a0RHONJ<\/em> couple is proving that romance doesn\u2019t need fireworks or Greek yachts to shine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dolores Catania\u00a0is an engaged woman, but her engagement ring is not the original one planned by her fianc\u00e9, Paul Connell. As\u00a0\u201cThe Real Housewives of New Jersey\u201d\u00a0\u00a0star\u00a0announced her engagement\u00a0to her longtime boyfriend, he…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t