The Bride Designed Her Own Hill House Dress for Her Wedding at a 16th-Century Villa Outside of Florence
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Allie Blitz, chief strategy officer at Hill House Home, and investor Matt Ressler were both born and raised in New York City. Growing up, they moved in the same social circles, but never crossed paths directly. Allie knew several of Matt’s endless cadre of cousins—13 by her count—and they shared the same favorite neighborhood restaurant as children, Setto Mezzo. Still, a meet-cute proved elusive.
It wasn’t until 2022 that their paths would finally converge. “Matt’s brother, Michael, who I’ve known for years, invited my friend and me to join a group for dinner,” Allie remembers. “Matt just so happened to be there. Not too long after that, Matt slid into my DMs…obviously.”
A proper first date followed, and the two became a couple soon after. The proposal took place in November 2024 at the Mayflower Inn Spa. “We love an Auberge!” Allie says, laughing. “Matt said it was just for fun,” she recalls—but still, she had her suspicions. “At a family gathering two days before the trip, every single one of Matt’s relatives pointedly inquired about what I was doing that weekend.”
When asked if she knew the ring might be coming that weekend, Allie resolutely claims—“Sure did. Matt has an awful poker face.”—an assertion Matt continues to dispute.
Matt had chosen the ring himself—with a bit of friendly guidance—and orchestrated every detail of the trip. His plan was to propose on the second day on a romantic hike that would lead the two of them to a scenic view overlooking the Hudson Valley. Allie very reasonably chose to wear proper hiking gear, while Matt suspiciously wore what he thought was a stylish—and highly impractical—outfit.
“That probably should’ve clued me in,” she says. Upon reaching the top of this unexpectedly steep hike that Matt was most definitely improperly dressed for, the moment finally arrived, intimate and unexpected amid the quiet trails of Connecticut. The couple celebrated back at the Mayflower, calling family and close friends before sharing the news more widely the next day.
The three-day wedding was held in Florence, Italy this past September. The city was also the location of the couple’s first trip together: With their shared love of art, wine, and Italian food—the couple even chose to title their wedding website “allieandmattlovepasta.com”—experiencing a culturally rich city with their family and friends made all the sense in the world.
Together with Augusta Cole and her team, they selected the newly opened Collegio alla Querce, Auberge Collection to be their home base for the long weekend. Nestled in the hills just above the town, the property is an exquisitely restored Florentine school with sweeping views of the city. Thursday and Friday night were hosted at the hotel, while the ceremony was held at the 15th-century Villa Palmieri in Fiesole.
“The planning process was a dream, truly—thanks to Augusta,” Allie remembers. “When I first sat down with her, I told her I wanted to plan a wedding in four months, and she graciously guided me to the decision that that would be insane.”
In the end, it took nine months, and the result was, in Allie’s words, “the most beautiful, seamless weekend. Augusta’s judgment, creativity, and steady energy were such a gift,” she adds. “I couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else.”
The weekend kicked off with a welcome party at La Gamella—the restaurant and its corresponding garden—at the hotel. Allie wore a Valentino halter neck dress and Fernando Jorge golden diamond earrings, borrowed from her older sister Perri, who also wore them on her wedding day.
On the following night, the rehearsal dinner was held around the pool and on the terrace at Collegio alla Querce. The night featured dinner tables draped in Hill House’s soon-to-be-released Ribbon Rose Ikat print, which is set to launch this month, as well as cocktail tables in an upcoming summer 2026 print, Sundial Stripe, recolored in a palette of greens, slate blue, and hints of pink especially for the occasion. To perfectly match back to the palette of the Hill House prints, Augusta Cole’s team created a plate collection in Puglia. For this event, Allie wore a Wiederhoeft corseted dress, putting a contemporary spin on classic La Dolce Vita style. She accessorized with diamond earrings gifted to her by her sister.
After two days of enjoying Collegio and exploring Florence, it was time to take the guests to a very special neighboring villa for the wedding ceremony on Saturday. Just five minutes from the hotel, the 15th-century Villa Palmieri has sprawling grounds and gardens.
Upon arrival, guests were greeted with glasses of Franciacorta and directed to the ceremony. Matt’s cousins served as ushers, lining the path to show guests the way to the top of what was once a beautifully positioned tennis court.
Allie wore a bespoke Hill House Bridal gown that was perfectly tailored to her taste. The dress was crafted from a structured silk cotton double satin sourced from a mill in Italy that has been around since 1870. The strapless gown features an inner silk corset with cups and metal boning, a fluted skirt, and a hand-draped foldover at the bodice. A cathedral-length pleated train extended from the back in silk cotton Mikado, and an Italian tulle veil completed the look. It also happened to be the first-ever Hill House custom bridal gown, made in New York City by the team behind all of the brand’s bespoke pieces. (Past custom dresses include the look founder Nell Diamond wore to the 2024 Met Gala, as well as a dress Olivia Rodrigo wore on SNL.)
The design process began in March 2025, and took around six months from start to finish. After creating an initial sketch, the pattern-maker began the draping process. The dress was fitted two times before making final touches the week before the wedding. “Going into the process, I knew I wanted something timeless and classic, with lots of drama,” Allie explains. “We started broad, but as soon as I saw the sketch of this dress, it was a done deal. It felt so me, yet still so true to Hill House—the femininity, attention to detail, and quality that makes our pieces feel special.”
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