This single frame holds everything a wedding day should be: love and a whole lot of hype from your favorite people. Captured beneath the weeping willows at Coxhall Gardens in Carmel, Indiana, the couple kisses, now as husband and wife, while their wedding party absolutely lost it in the background. Arms in the air, mouths wide open in celebration, pink gowns fluttering in the breeze. It’s a full-on party snapshot that perfectly captures the electric happiness of saying “I do” at one of Indiana’s most romantic ceremony sites.
As your Coxhall Gardens wedding photographer, this is the kind of shot I live to capture for you. We call it the “Kiss & Cheer” portrait, and it has become a signature tradition at nearly every Coxhall wedding I photograph. I line up the wedding party in two cheering rows under the willows, give the couple the cue “One more kiss, make it good!” and let the chaos unfold. The result? A photo that feels like a celebration in motion: her veil floating like angel wings, his hand cradling her face, and twelve of their closest friends going absolutely wild behind them. It’s formal enough for the album, fun enough for the reception slideshow, and always, always, one of the couple’s top three favorites from the entire day.
Why the Willows at Coxhall Gardens Are Pure Ceremony Magic
The ceremony site beneath the weeping willows is the heart of every Coxhall Gardens wedding. Those cascading branches create a natural cathedral, framing the couple in soft, dappled light and giving every photo an ethereal, almost fairytale quality. The lake glimmers quietly behind the guests, the twin bell towers rise in the distance, and the willows sway gently overhead, as if nature itself is applauding. Whether you have 50 guests or 200, this spot feels intimate yet grand, sheltered yet open to the sky. And when the light hits just right (as it did here on a perfect September evening), the entire scene glows.
A Tradition Worth Starting
Couples tell me this photo ends up on their holiday cards and is even blown up as canvas art above their fireplace. It’s the shot that makes grandparents tear up and friends scream “That’s SO them!” when they see it. And it only takes 60 seconds to create, right after the recessional, while everyone is still buzzing with newlywed energy (or even before if the couple chooses to do a first look).
If you’re planning your wedding at Coxhall Gardens in Carmel, Indiana, let’s make sure your day includes this moment. Twenty years from now, you won’t just remember the vows, you’ll remember how it felt when your best friends cheered like their team just won the Super Bowl… because you just sealed your forever.
This is what love looks like when it’s surrounded by the right people in the right place. We’d be honored to capture yours.
Captured with the Nikon Z9 in natural light with a 24-70mm lens at 26mm.
ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/250
Edited to look like film.
Location: 11677 Towne Rd, Carmel, IN 46032.