Catania and fiancée Brittany Mattessich were set to hold their nuptials on Florida’s Captiva Island on Nov. 9, but the storm damage to their venue is too extensive
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Frank Catania has been forced to postpone his nuptials due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 59, was set to wed fiancée Brittany Mattessich on Nov. 9 on Captiva Island off the coast of Florida, where the back-to-back hurricanes swept through in late September and early October. But after assessing the situation at their venue and the surrounding area, the couple made the difficult decision to postpone their nuptials until March 2025.
Frank tells PEOPLE that the pair initially held out hope that their wedding could go on as planned, until faced with a second hurricane so soon after Helene made landfall on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 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,” he explains. “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.”
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After Milton — which made landfall on Oct. 9 — brought even more sand and water onto the island, the couple decided that it “was better off for us to reschedule for March 29, 2025, which gives the resort ample time to repair the resort back to perfect condition.”
Frank says it was tough breaking the news to Mattessich, 34.
“I held off telling Brittany for like a day after I found out because I did not want to see her reaction. So I finally told her the night after I received the news and, although saddened and disappointed, Brittany took it much better than I expected,” he recalls. “She would much rather reschedule 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.”
Frank adds, “Also we did not want to see our family and guests be inconvenienced in any way because of the damage. We wanted it to be a happy and fun time for everyone without anxiety or worrying.”
He tells PEOPLE the process of rescheduling the wedding was “much smoother” than anticipated. “All of our vendors worked with us incredibly,” he says. “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.”
Frank and his fiancée initially chose Captiva Island for their wedding location because it has “very special meaning” to the couple.
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“We had vacationed there before because Captiva Island was my mother, Dr. Lorraine Catania’s favorite place to vacation in the world. She passed away in 2007 and made us spread her ashes in the water off Captiva, so it would only be appropriate for us to celebrate such a happy and joyous occasion there so that my mother could be there,” says Frank, who was previously married to RHONJ‘s Dolores Catania from 1994 to 2002.
Frank and Mattessich envision their wedding on the island being like a “vacation” for themselves and their guests. “Our intention is always for everyone to have a great and relaxed time without any stress,” Frank says. “We want our guests to feel like they are on vacation having a good time and it just so happens that Brittany and Frank are getting married while they are there.”
“We are putting no pressure on our guests to have to be anywhere other than the ceremony and reception,” he adds. “The rest of the time they are free to enjoy themselves as they want.”
The couple has booked a house on the beach that can accommodate 19 people, and Dolores, 53, has reserved a house next door that can host 14 people. In addition, a friend has rented a third house to hold another dozen people.
“They are all on the beach and have pools, so we hope that all our guests just come and hang with all of us on the beach or by the pools,” Frank notes.
Frank and Mattessich got engaged in October 2023 after more than a decade of friendship which later turned romantic. “We’re Engaged!!!! 💎🤍. I’m so excited to start this next chapter with you along with all the other good things we have going on,” Mattessich wrote on Instagram at the time, thanking Frank for making her “the happiest girl in the world.”