Surya Garigipati Photography & Films flies a licensed drone at New Jersey weddings wherever the venue and the law allow, with its own film team, for the baraat, an outdoor mandap and the grounds. Drone footage is captured in 4K alongside the multi-camera film; the drone stays on the ground at temples and in restricted airspace.
At a glance
| What | Aerial photographs and 4K footage, captured alongside the ground cameras by the same team |
| Where it flies | Only where the venue and the law allow: estates and lawns, the baraat route, the shore, the grounds of a banquet hall |
| Where it does not | Temples and gurdwaras, restricted airspace near airports and the city, indoors, and any venue that says no |
| Studio | Surya Garigipati Photography & Films LLC, Flemington, New Jersey; cinematography in-house since 2016 |
| Delivered | Inside the highlight film, the feature film and the gallery, not as a separate product |
| Reviews | 4.9 on Google from 38 public reviews: read them |
What a drone adds to an Indian wedding
An Indian wedding has moments that are bigger than a ground camera can show. The baraat, with the dhol and two hundred people dancing down a drive, reads as a crowd from the ground and as a procession from above. A mandap on a lawn with five hundred chairs around it is the one frame where every guest is in the photograph. An estate, a garden or a shoreline venue is chosen for its setting, and the setting is best seen from the air. In the films, a few seconds of aerial footage at the start of a chapter give the day its place; the films page shows how little of it is needed.
Where it flies, and where it stays on the ground
- Estates, gardens and lawns. The Rockleigh, Park Château, The Palace at Somerset Park’s grounds and the Hudson Valley estates, where the venue permits it.
- The baraat. Along a drive or across a lawn, agreed with the venue in advance, never over traffic.
- The shore. Monmouth County and Long Island beaches, where local rules allow.
- Not at temples and gurdwaras, where we ask and usually keep it on the ground, and not indoors.
- Not in restricted airspace. Much of the land near Newark, Teterboro and the New York airports, and the city itself, is controlled or closed airspace, and we do not fly there.
The rule is simple: the drone flies where the venue and the law allow, and the venue’s answer is asked for in writing before the day. Our guide to outdoor Indian wedding venues covers what an estate has to allow for a mandap, a havan and a baraat, and the drone is one more line on that list.
How it fits the rest of the day
The drone is flown by the film team, not by a separate vendor, so it is planned into the same timeline as the ground cameras and never competes with the photographers for the moment. It goes up for the baraat, the ceremony on the lawn and a few minutes of the grounds, and it comes down for the rituals, where the frames that matter are close and quiet. Films are captured in 4K and multi-camera, with lapel microphones on the couple and the officiant, and the aerial footage sits inside the highlight and feature films rather than being sold as a separate reel. The wedding videographer in New Jersey page explains each film.
Is it included?
The licensed drone is part of how the film team works, where the venue and the law allow it, and film is part of the wedding day and wedding weekend collections. Nothing about the drone is sold by the hour; the investment page explains how collections are priced by event. If your venue is one where flying is not possible, nothing is lost from the collection; the ground cameras do the work. Check your date and tell us your venue, and we will tell you honestly whether the drone can fly there.
What couples wrote on Google
"Having Surya capture our special day was one of the best decisions. His entire team was great to work with and made us very comfortable. The quality of both the pictures and videos was beyond amazing" — Sharoz Zaheer
"Reasonable price. Very satisfied with the video and photography. The video was beautifully composed. The photographs and videos captured of the wedding was fabulous" — Girija Nandigama
Questions about drone coverage
Do you use a drone at weddings?
Yes, a licensed drone, flown by our own film team wherever the venue and the law allow. It is part of how the films are made, not a separate vendor or a separate product.
Can you fly a drone at our venue?
It depends on the venue and the airspace. Estates, lawns and the shore usually allow it; temples, gurdwaras, indoor rooms and the controlled airspace around the airports and the city do not. Tell us the venue and we will give you a straight answer.
Does the drone film the ceremony?
A lawn ceremony from above, yes, for a few seconds that show the whole mandap and every guest. The rituals themselves are photographed and filmed from the ground, close and without noise.
Is drone footage extra?
No. Where it can fly, the aerial footage sits inside the highlight film, the feature film and the gallery, which are part of the wedding day and wedding weekend collections.
Do you fly in New York City?
Generally no. Most of the city is controlled or closed airspace, and we do not fly where the law does not allow it.
Your venue, from above
Tell us your date and your venue. We will say honestly whether the drone can fly there, and reply within a day.
Check Your Date