Frank Catania won’t be saying “I do” next month as planned.
The ex-husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dolores Catania was set to tie the knot with his fiancée, Brittany Mattessich, on Nov. 9 on Captiva Island off the west coast of South Florida.
But after Hurricanes Helene and Milton swept through the state in late September and early October, respectively, the couple made the decision to postpone their nuptials until March of next year.
Frank, 59, told People Monday that he and Mattessich, 34, initially held out hope that their wedding could go on as scheduled after Helene made landfall on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 storm.
However, less than two weeks later, Milton hit Captiva Island more directly as a Category 3 storm.
“Hurricane Helene first came through and brought so much sand onto the island that the pools were filled with sand, and the golf course and areas where the ceremony and the reception were to be held were also damaged by water,” Frank explained.
“Even though there was a possibility that the venue could have possibly been repaired for our wedding on Nov. 9, no work commenced because Hurricane Milton was coming the following week.”
He felt it “better” to “reschedule for March 29, 2025, which gives the resort ample time to repair the resort back to perfect condition.”
Frank said he “received the news” before Mattessich and “held off” on telling her because he “did not want to see her reaction.”
“Although saddened and disappointed, Brittany took it much better than I expected,” he revealed, sharing that she was on board with delaying “for another date that was not in the hurricane season and would also give the resort enough time to repair the resort back to perfect.”
Florida’s hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
Frank made sure to add that he and Mattessich did not want their guests to “be inconvenienced in any way because of the damage,” noting that they “wanted it to be a happy and fun time for everyone without anxiety or worrying.”
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Frank told the magazine that the process of pushing the wedding back by more than four months was “much smoother” than he anticipated it would be.
“All of our vendors worked with us incredibly,” he said. “They were all available for the new date and allowed us to change our contract to the new date without any additional charges and inconveniences.”
Changing their wedding location was never an option for the pair, as Captiva Island holds “very special meaning” for the groom, specifically, because it was his late mother’s “favorite place to vacation.”
Frank explained that he and Mattessich want their guests to “feel like they are on vacation,” too.
The duo reserved a house on the beach that can sleep 19 people, while Dolores, 53, booked one next door that can accommodate 14. They also have a friend who rented a third house to host another 12 guests.
Frank proposed to Mattessich in October 2023. They met when he served as her trainer for a fitness competition, and they began a decade-long friendship after that. Following several years, their relationship took a romantic turn.
In an exclusive interview with Page Six in August 2022, Frank told us that Dolores, to whom he was married from 1994 to 1998, and their children — daughter Gabby, 29, and son Frankie Jr., 26 — had welcomed Mattessich with open arms.
