Surya Garigipati Photography & Films photographs Indian weddings in Princeton and across Mercer County — West Windsor, Plainsboro, Robbinsville and Lawrenceville — from a studio in Flemington, about half an hour north. Since 2013 Surya has photographed more than 400 South Asian celebrations, with photography and film from one in-house team, and the studio is rated 4.9 on Google by 38 families. Mercer County travel is included in every collection.
Indian weddings in Mercer County
The towns along Route 1 between Princeton and Plainsboro, and the ones around them — West Windsor, Robbinsville, Lawrenceville — are home to many South Asian families, and their weddings tend to take one of two shapes. The first is the full weekend: a ceremony at the mandir in Robbinsville or a gurdwara, with the reception at a hotel or a Central Jersey hall. The second is smaller and quieter — a lawn ceremony and a dinner for two hundred, with time set aside for portraits. We photograph both, and the second suits Princeton particularly well: few places in the state have this much stone, ivy and old trees within a few minutes of each other.
The mandir in Robbinsville and the gurdwara in Lawrenceville
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville is a landmark for many Gujarati families. We photograph at the temple and know its rules on flash, positions and dress, and because every temple has its own customs, we confirm the details with the family and the temple before the day — and never ask the priest to wait for a photograph. Our guide to Gujarati wedding photography explains where we stand for each moment, from the pithi to the mangal fera.
For Sikh couples, the gurdwara in Lawrenceville is one of the New Jersey gurdwaras where Anand Karaj ceremonies have taken us. In the darbar hall we work without flash, heads covered and shoes off, from the side and the back, so the four laavan are kept without a single step into the space that is not ours. Our guide to photographing an Anand Karaj goes through the morning.
Venues in and around Princeton
- The Westin Princeton — a hotel ballroom with guest rooms upstairs for families travelling in; we scout a portrait spot nearby, because hotel interiors want planning.
- The Ashford Estate, Allentown — an estate setting a short drive from Robbinsville, for couples who want the ceremony outdoors.
- Hyatt Regency New Brunswick — up Route 1, for a downtown hotel reception.
- Park Château, East Brunswick — formal gardens where golden-hour portraits need almost no direction.
- The Palace at Somerset Park — about half an hour north, for the largest weekends.
For the light and the logistics of each kind of room, read our guide to the best Indian wedding venues in New Jersey.
Where we take portraits around Princeton
- Palmer Square and Nassau Street — stone, shopfronts and the Collegiate Gothic of the university beyond. The university has its own rules for professional photography on campus, which we check before we plan anything there.
- Marquand Park — a small, tree-filled park in town, with specimen trees that give shade and texture even at midday.
- Grounds For Sculpture, Hamilton — sculpture gardens with their own ticketing and rules for portrait sessions.
- Sayen Gardens, Hamilton — azaleas and rhododendrons in May, paths, a pond and small bridges that frame a couple well.
- Mercer County Park, West Windsor — the lake and open fields, for an unhurried session with room to walk.
- Lambertville and the Delaware River — close to our studio: the canal towpath, river light and the bridge to New Hope.
Many parks, gardens and campuses require a permit or a fee for professional photography, some do not allow it at all, and the rules change from year to year — we check every location and arrange the permit before the day, so nobody is asked to leave in the middle of golden hour.
What we cover at a Mercer County wedding
| Event | Where it usually happens | Typical coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Haldi, pithi or mehndi | At home in West Windsor, Plainsboro or Robbinsville | One photographer, natural light |
| Garba or sangeet | A hotel function room or a community hall | Photographer and cinematographer, our own light on the floor |
| Ceremony | The mandir in Robbinsville, the Lawrenceville gurdwara or a lawn mandap | Lead and second photographer, cinematographer; no flash where the temple asks |
| Portraits | Palmer Square, Marquand Park or the venue's grounds | Planned for the last two hours of light |
| Reception | A Route 1 hotel ballroom or a Central Jersey hall | Two photographers and film, the speeches in full |
| Pre-wedding session | Sayen Gardens in May, Lambertville by the river | Two hours, more than eighty edited images within two weeks |
Collections are built around your events, not a block of hours — see the investment page, and our guide to the best time of year for an Indian wedding for the light month by month.
Travel from Flemington
Princeton is about half an hour from our studio, and all of Mercer County is well inside the 90 miles of New Jersey included in every collection, so there is no travel charge. Being this close also means we can visit your venue and walk the portrait route in the weeks before the wedding.
Photographs and film from one team
Our cinematographers have worked alongside the photographers since 2016, from one shot list, and deliver a four-to-six-minute highlight film and the full ceremony. See real weddings on the films page.
What couples wrote on Google
Every review below is a public Google review, published under the family's own account. The rest are on the reviews page.
"Surya was so kind and amazing to work with. He knew exactly what spots to go to for the best angles and was so efficient with whatever time we had." — Gayathri Pratha
"It was wonderful experience working with Surya - very creative, punctual and suggests and listens to our ideas…" — Latha Ramraj
"We hired Surya as our wedding photographer and couldn’t have been happier with our experience. He and his team were amazing. The pictures turned out absolutely stunning…" — Alekya Prathi
Questions Princeton couples ask us
Do you photograph Indian weddings in Princeton, NJ?
Yes. We photograph weddings across Princeton, West Windsor, Plainsboro, Robbinsville, Lawrenceville and the rest of Mercer County. Our studio is in Flemington, about half an hour away, and travel here is included in every collection.
Can we have our portraits on the Princeton University campus?
The university has its own rules for professional photography on campus, so we check them for your date before we plan a session there. Palmer Square, Nassau Street and Marquand Park give the same stone-and-trees feel with fewer restrictions.
Do you photograph at the BAPS mandir in Robbinsville?
Yes. We photograph at the temple and know its rules on flash, positions and dress. Every temple has its own customs, so we confirm the details with the family and the temple before the day — and we never ask the priest to wait.
Do you photograph smaller weddings?
Yes. A single celebration — one ceremony, a reception or a sangeet — is covered completely by a lead photographer with a second shooter. Single-celebration collections begin in the mid four figures, and every couple receives a written proposal before deciding anything.
When is the best season for an outdoor ceremony in Mercer County?
Late May to mid-June and September to mid-October give New Jersey its kindest light. In July and August, move the ceremony to the early morning or late afternoon; a four o'clock ceremony runs straight into golden hour.
How far ahead should we book?
Most couples book twelve to eighteen months out, and peak-season Saturdays go first. Send us your date and we will confirm within 24 hours.
Your Princeton wedding
Tell us your dates, your temple and your venue — we reply within a day with availability and a collection built for your celebration.
Check Your Date