Vicki Gunvalson Told Her New Man ‘Right Out of the Gate’ That She Wants to Marry Again

The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Ex-Wives Club star began dating her new beau shortly after splitting from ex-fiancé Steve Lodge

Vicki Gunvalson knows exactly what she wants for her love life going forward.

At The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Ex-Wives Club’s New York City premiere the week, Gunvalson spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about her new boyfriend, revealing how honest she was with him about her aspirations to tie the knot some day.

“I absolutely want to be married again,” said Gunvalson, 60, at The Bowery Terrace event. “And I told him that, right out of the gate. I said, ‘You want to be married? You want to be committed?’ And he’s like, ‘I don’t want to be married again.'”

Since the pair have only been together for six months, The Real Housewives of Orange County alum said they aren’t having serious discussions about marriage — but her past has informed how she wants to proceed in that department going forward.

She was previously married to Michael J. Wolfsmith from 1982 to 1991 and to Donn Gunvalson from 1994 to 2014. Last September, her relationship with fiancé Steve Lodge ended after five years.

“Marriage is a big thing. You can’t just decide to get married after three or four months,” she said. “So, I am at the belief that it takes anywhere from a year to a year and a half just to even know the person. So, we’re taking it slow. There is no rush. We enjoy each other.”

The Coto Insurance founder said she’s “making it work” with her new beau, who lives part-time in Texas. It’s been “hard” since she lives in California and prefers that the pair “be together,” but she is contemplating possibly leaving the West Coast down the road, regardless of whether her current relationship goes to the next level.

“I don’t know what my future is. I do not need to stay in California. There’s nothing there,” she said. “Truly, I would probably go back to Illinois where I’m from if this doesn’t work out.”

Gunvalson added that she’s “just excited about the future.”

In the meantime, fans of Gunvalson can now catch her on Peacock’s The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Ex-Wives Club. The reality series, which returned for its second season on Thursday, sees some of the most iconic (and infamous) Housewives stars from various casts come together for a vacation at Real Housewives of New York City alum Dorinda Medley’s Blue Stone Manor.

Her appearance on the show marked Gunvalson’s first time returning to a Housewives show since her 2020 exit from RHOC.

Staying at costar Medley’s home in the Berkshires was a big change for Gunvalson, who prefers “being in beach weather” and “in hotels.” But she acknowledged how hard Medley, 57, “tried to make it” work for everyone while there.