A Wedding at The Cook’s Garden

Andy walking with her sisters-in-law on the way to The Cook’s Garden.

Esteban, a photographer and founder of Los Angeles Print Shop, and Andy, a writer and author of the novel Plum, winner of the ALA’s 2026 Alex Award and finalist for the LA Times Book Prize, are also co-writers of the newsletter Making Art at the End of the World. They were married at The Cook’s Garden in Venice, California, an urban farm on Abbot Kinney.

It was the garden where they grew their own vegetables and herbs, so choosing it for their wedding felt natural.

The couple wanted an intimate celebration connected to the authenticity of the garden itself.

From there, the plan evolved naturally. Each friend was given a small role in the day, though no one knew exactly what the others were doing. Somehow, every piece fell into place at the right moment.

I helped with the flowers.

The boutonnières were made with herbs gathered directly from the garden, lavender, rosemary, and other fragrant plants trimmed that morning.

I had never made a bouquet before. When Andy asked if I could make hers, of course I said yes. The only thing she told me was, “No roses, please.”

Three days before the wedding, I went to the Los Angeles Flower Market to choose the flowers. Not knowing how to keep them fresh, I filled the entire refrigerator at the cottage with them. Later, I stood in front of the mirror and began assembling the bouquet, one stem at a time.

Andy originally wanted to walk from her home to the garden, but in the end we called an Uber.

Esteban wore a vintage tie designed in the 1980s by Lola Lobato in Venezuela.

Glass bottles were reused as vases, filled with flowers from the Los Angeles Flower Market and herbs from the garden.

Dinner came from Night + Market, one of the couple’s favorite Thai street-food restaurants in Los Angeles.

Appetizers came from Gjusta, another beloved spot in Venice on Sunset Avenue, with bites passed between guests alongside margaritas.

Later, everyone sat down to dinner under hanging lights and candlelight, with Thai dishes from Night + Market shared around the table.

The wines were selected from Lou Wine Shop, a Los Angeles shop known for its natural wines.

Margarita cocktails were made using a recipe from the cookbook Frontera by Rick Bayless.

The cake came from Sweet Lady Jane, a beloved Los Angeles bakery.

The music was curated as a mix of songs from different cultures. Throughout the evening, the playlist shifted the atmosphere, moving through global sounds that felt like different celebrations unfolding at once, a Brazilian party, a Nigerian gathering, a multicultural dance floor.

Suddenly, a brass band appeared at the gate and began playing. What followed was a procession through the streets of Venice, guests dancing behind the musicians, carried by the music toward a nearby jazz bar.

A wedding that began in a garden and ended dancing through the streets of Venice.

Sometimes the smallest moments are the ones that stay with us the longest.