Nearly a year into her engagement, The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dolores Catania revealed at Bravo Fan Fest 2026 on October 24 that planning her wedding to Paulie Connell is causing her anxiety, admitting that the prospect of running around in a dress for a day feels like “a lot of pressure.”
The Bottom Line
- Dolores Catania confessed at Bravo Fan Fest 2026 that the idea of being a bride again and managing a large guest list makes her nervous.
- Instead of a traditional ceremony, she would rather host a big open party to avoid the stress of potentially forgetting someone.
- When asked who from the Bravoverse she would want to officiate, Catania named Andy Cohen, whom the cast calls “Daddy Andy.”
Anxiety Over the Dress and the Guest List
Speaking during the “Housewife2Housewife: Coast2Coast” panel in Charleston, South Carolina, Catania addressed the realities of planning her upcoming nuptials to Paulie Connell. The RHONJ Season 15 cast member questioned the traditional pageantry of the event itself.
RHONJ Star Dolores Catania Is Engaged at the Same Time as Her Son and Daughter. Now They're Planning 3 Weddings (Exclusive) https://t.co/bDZfkwgiFf
“The thought of even being a bride again” was giving her anxiety, the RHONJ Season 15 cast member remarked during the October 24 panel. “I’m gonna run around in a dress for a day? I get nervous for that.”
Rather than obsessing over seating charts and formal invitations, Catania pointed toward a simpler, more relaxed celebration. “I just want to have a big open party,” she explained to the attendees, adding that the fear of oversight weighs heavily on her. “I’m just like, the thought of that whole big party, and what if I forget to invite somebody? I would die, and it would just be… Like, I feel funny. It’s a lot of pressure in our position.”
Weighing Potential Dates and an Officiant
While the couple has yet to publicly confirm an official wedding date, previous joint interviews with Bravo Insider have provided clear clues about their competing visions for the big day. Connell has advocated for a specific calendar milestone.
“Paul wants to get married on November 10th because that’s when we got engaged and that’s a significant date for him cause that’s when I moved in,” Catania revealed earlier this year. Meanwhile, she noted her own preference for a New Year’s Eve celebration.
During the Fan Fest panel, a fan also asked her to choose an officiant from within the broader Bravo universe. Catania didn’t hesitate with her answer, naming Andy Cohen. “It would have to be Andy,” she said. “Daddy Andy, we call him.”
Planning a Stateside Celebration for Frankie Jr. and Nicole
Catania’s mind is also occupied with another set of wedding plans closer to home. Her son, Frankie Catania Jr., married his bride, Nicole Perricho, in a ceremony in Portugal on August 1.
Addressing an audience member who asked for advice on bringing a new daughter-in-law into the fold, Catania admitted that keeping her opinions to herself during the Portugal planning wasn’t easy. “I sat on my hands, and I shut my mouth,” she said, though she praised Nicole for doing an “amazing” job.
To accommodate family members who could not make the trip abroad, Catania is now organizing a second wedding stateside. When discussing her active role in putting together the upcoming local reception, she shared Nicole’s relaxed blessing: “She said to me, ‘It’s on you, queen. This is your thing. You do yours.'”
Summarizing her philosophy on navigating family dynamics and keeping peace with her newly married son, Catania told fellow panelist Gina Kirschenheiter, “You don’t want to lose your son. If you have to eat s–t, you eat s–t.”
