Ina Garten and Jeffrey's 57-Year Marriage Timeline

Ina Garten and Jeffrey Garten marked their 57th wedding anniversary in December 2025, celebrating a love story that began in 1963 when 15-year-old Ina Rosenberg visited her brother at Dartmouth College. Jeffrey, a junior, spotted her from the library window and sent love letters, sparking their romance.

They married in 1968 after a rocky first date and navigated separations due to Jeffrey's Army service in 1969 and work in Tokyo. A 1971 trip to Paris ignited Ina's culinary interests, leading to her Barefoot Contessa career. Despite a brief split in the late 1970s amid business pressures, they reconciled and thrived.

The couple chose not to have children, prioritizing careers—Ina in food media via Food Network, Jeffrey in finance and Yale. Through commutes and the 2020 pandemic, they stayed connected, enjoying anniversaries in Paris and simple moments like PB&J lunches.

In 1963, Ina Rosenberg, aged 15, met Jeffrey Garten while visiting her brother at Dartmouth College in the USA. Jeffrey, a junior at the time, noticed her from the campus library window and remarked to his roommate, "Look at that girl, isn't she beautiful?"

The roommate recognized Ina as the sister of a friend he had planned to date that evening. After that date did not progress, Jeffrey sent her a letter including a photograph of himself. Ina reacted enthusiastically, running through the house to show her mother the image, exclaiming, "Mom, Mom, you've got to see this picture of this guy. He's so cute!"

First Date Challenges

Months later in 1963, Jeffrey and Ina went on their first date. Still in high school, Ina was picked up by Jeffrey, who drove them to a bar in Port Chester, New York, where the legal drinking age was 18. The outing turned disastrous when the doorman asked for ID, and Ina, unfamiliar with bars, had none.

They pivoted to a nearby coffee shop, where they enjoyed a "perfectly good time," as Jeffrey later described it. This initial mishap did not deter their growing connection, setting the stage for deeper commitment.

In 1968, Ina Garten, then 20, and Jeffrey Garten, 22, married at Ina's parents' house in Stamford, Connecticut. Following the wedding, they settled in North Carolina after Jeffrey enlisted in the Army. Ina, who had no immediate plans to resume studies at Syracuse University, focused on cooking for her husband.

Jeffrey encouraged her to pursue interests in business and cooking, leading Ina to obtain her pilot's certificate. He reflected on their generation's shifting roles for women, noting, "We were part of the first generation where there was a fork in the road for a lot of women, whether to pursue their careers or stay at home." Jeffrey viewed Ina as blending both domestic and professional paths, sending him brownies and sweaters while building a career.

1969: Distance and Love Letters

In 1969, the couple faced separation due to Jeffrey's Army service in Thailand and a work trip to Tokyo, Japan. Jeffrey wrote to Ina daily, managing only one phone call over the year. Ina preserved all the letters, later reflecting on them 50 years after their marriage.

One letter expressed Jeffrey's dream of taking her to Paris, despite lacking funds for a hotel. This aspiration became a tradition, with the couple spending every anniversary in Paris thereafter.

In 1971, Ina and Jeffrey traveled to Paris on a limited budget, where Ina discovered her culinary talents. Using a small gas camping stove, she prepared meals with fresh French ingredients from street markets. She later wrote in her cookbook Cooking for Jeffrey, "I had always thought about French food as 'cuisine' with complicated preparations and slowly simmered sauces." Instead, she embraced simple, seasonal fare.

Jeffrey described this as the "first formative period in her cooking," noting how Ina would "glow" walking through boulangeries. Upon returning, Ina studied Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child to refine her skills.

1972: Life in Washington, DC

By 1972, the Gartens moved to Washington, DC. Ina earned a degree from Georgetown University and worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget under Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, contributing to the nuclear energy budget. Jeffrey served in the State Department.

Evenings featured weekly dinner parties for friends, which Jeffrey called "legendary." The couple decided early not to have children. Ina explained, "It was a choice I made very early... I really felt, I feel, that I would have never been able to have the life I've had." Jeffrey added, "We don't have any children. I'm her family."

1978: Launching Barefoot Contessa

In 1978, shortly after turning 30, Ina left her government job to buy the Barefoot Contessa shop in East Hampton, New York. Jeffrey supported the move, saying, "Let's move to New York!" Ina recalled his lack of objection to relocating for her career as unusual for the era.

The store became her passion, propelling her to fame. Jeffrey advised, "If you love it, you'll be really good at it." Meanwhile, he advanced to managing director at Lehman Brothers.

In the late 1970s, Ina and Jeffrey briefly separated as she managed the Barefoot Contessa store while he worked in Washington, DC. Ina wrote in her memoir Be Ready When the Luck Happens, "When I bought Barefoot Contessa, I shattered our traditional roles—took a baseball bat to them and left them in pieces." The separation allowed her to balance business and marriage, and they soon reconciled.

By 1995, when Jeffrey became dean of Yale's School of Management, Ina decorated his Connecticut home to mirror their New York one. She did the same for his Tokyo apartment, even commissioning a replicated desk chair. Their Southport, Connecticut, residence remains largely unchanged, adorned with Jeffrey's collection of articles about Ina.

1999: Publishing Success

Ina ran the store for over 20 years before publishing The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook in 1999. As a first-time author, she was uncertain, but Jeffrey praised her discipline: "She has natural talent, but it's backed by so much effort and so much focus." The initial 5,000 copies, plus 15,000 more, sold out quickly.

2000s and Beyond

Through the 2000s, Jeffrey commuted from East Hampton to Connecticut, with weekends reserved for each other. Ina shared, "I really look forward to Thursday or Friday when he comes home and the weekends are sacrosanct." Jeffrey sent multiple daily texts, envisioning her schedule to feel connected.

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, increased time together brought joy. Ina noted, "I feel like I prepared my whole life to be quarantined... I make him lunch, I make him dinner and he's home all the time." In 2021, they enjoyed beach PB&J lunches while listening to podcasts.

In October 2021, Ina celebrated Jeffrey's 75th birthday on Instagram: "Happy Birthday to the love of my life! I've loved you for more than 50 years, and I'm just getting started." Their 57th anniversary in December 2025 prompted Ina's post: "Happy anniversary, babe. Marrying someone smart, funny, and adorable is always a good idea."

The Gartens' enduring partnership demonstrates resilience, support, and shared simple pleasures, from love letters to legendary dinner parties, shaping Ina's path to Food Network stardom and their lasting legacy.