Surya Garigipati Photography & Films photographs Indian weddings in Somerset and across Somerset County — Bridgewater, Hillsborough, Basking Ridge and Franklin Township — from a studio in Flemington, in the next county west. Since 2013 Surya has photographed more than 400 South Asian celebrations, among them weekend after weekend at The Palace at Somerset Park, and the studio is rated 4.9 on Google by 38 families. Photography and film come from one team, and Somerset County travel is included in every collection.
Our neighbouring county
Somerset County sits right next to Hunterdon, where our studio is, and two of the places that define an Indian wedding in New Jersey are here: The Palace at Somerset Park, and the temples and gurdwara of Bridgewater. Being close changes how a weekend works. We can walk the venue with you, see the getting-ready suite at the hour you will use it, and be at the house in Bridgewater or Hillsborough for the haldi without a hotel or an early-morning drive across the state.
The Palace at Somerset Park, and the rooms around it
If one venue defines the large New Jersey Indian wedding, it is The Palace at Somerset Park: long, tree-lined grounds for the baraat and a lawn mandap, a grand staircase we plan thirty seconds on between the ceremony and the family portraits, ballrooms tall enough for a mandap indoors, and getting-ready suites with real daylight. A four o'clock ceremony on the lawn runs straight into golden hour. Spoorthi & Richard's highlight film from The Palace is one of the four films on our films page.
- The Imperia, Somerset — a banquet house with several rooms that hosts South Asian weddings regularly; rooms differ, so visit one on an evening when it is set.
- The Marigold, Somerset — another Somerset room couples bring to us; we walk it before the day like any other.
- Park Château, East Brunswick — gardens for an outdoor mandap, twenty minutes east.
- The Grand Marquis, Old Bridge — scale without formality for a reception of five hundred.
The best autumn Saturdays at the big Somerset halls go more than a year out. Our guide to the best Indian wedding venues in New Jersey compares them.
Temples and gurdwaras in Bridgewater
Bridgewater is one of the centres of Hindu and Sikh worship in the state. We photograph regularly at the Sri Venkateswara Temple there, and many of the Telugu and Tamil ceremonies we cover begin in a temple hall in the morning and move to a ballroom by evening. The gurdwara in Bridgewater is one of those where Anand Karaj ceremonies have taken us. Temple halls are lit warmly from above, so we place our own soft light before the family arrives and the ceremony reads as daylight rather than flash; in the darbar hall there is no flash at all. Our guide to Telugu and Tamil wedding photography and our Sikh wedding page go through each ceremony.
Where we take portraits in Somerset County
- Colonial Park, Somerset — the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden through June, lawns and a pond, minutes from The Palace.
- Duke Farms, Hillsborough — a large estate of meadows, lakes and woodland open to the public, with its own rules for portrait sessions.
- Lord Stirling Park, Basking Ridge — trails and boardwalks through open wetland, at its best in soft morning light.
- Natirar, Peapack-Gladstone — a county park of rolling lawns along the Raritan, for a wide, green, quiet frame.
- The venue's own grounds — at The Palace, forty minutes on the lawns is worth more than any hour of the reception.
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 Somerset County wedding
| Event | Where it usually happens | Typical coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Haldi, pithi or pellikuthuru | At home in Bridgewater, Hillsborough or Somerset | One photographer, window light |
| Sangeet or garba | A Somerset banquet room or a hotel function room | Photographer and cinematographer, our own light on the floor |
| Ceremony | The Sri Venkateswara Temple, the Bridgewater gurdwara or a lawn mandap at The Palace | Lead and second photographer, cinematographer; no flash in the darbar hall |
| Portraits | The Palace grounds and staircase, Colonial Park, Duke Farms | Timed to the light, never squeezed in |
| Reception | The Palace at Somerset Park, The Imperia | Two photographers and film, drone where the venue allows |
| After | Delivery | Sneak peeks within 48–72 hours, the full gallery in six to eight weeks, the film to follow |
The investment page explains how a collection is built around your real event list, and our guide to the wedding weekend, hour by hour shows how the days fit together.
Travel from Flemington
Somerset is about half an hour from our studio and Bridgewater closer still. All of Somerset County is well inside the 90 miles of New Jersey included in every collection, so there is no travel charge.
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 did a phenomenal job of helping us capture the wedding of our dreams. His attention to detail and the passion he has for his work is unmatched. He came up with many innovative poses and locations for us to take photos with our family…" — Priyanka Sahu Yalamanchili
"He is very professional, prompt and has an uncanny eye to get the best shots! I had confetti showering on me and so he just had to get it right in the finite time and he did!" — Rajyashree Anjutgi
"Surya and his team did an amazing job for all our wedding and pre wedding events. He is prompt, easy to talk with and is very flexible based on what your needs are. He delivered all the photos in time and they came out amazing…" — Isha
Questions Somerset County couples ask us
Do you photograph Indian weddings in Somerset and Bridgewater?
Yes. Somerset County is next door to our Flemington studio, and we photograph weddings across Somerset, Bridgewater, Hillsborough, Basking Ridge and Franklin Township. Travel here is included in every collection.
Have you photographed at The Palace at Somerset Park?
Weekend after weekend — mandaps on the lawn, baraats down the drive and receptions in the ballrooms. Our venue guide to The Palace has the timeline we use, and Spoorthi & Richard's highlight film from The Palace is on our films page.
Can you photograph at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Bridgewater?
Yes. We photograph there regularly and know the temple's rules on flash, positions and dress. We confirm the details with the family and the temple before the day, and never ask the priest to wait.
Can we take portraits at Colonial Park or Duke Farms?
Often, yes, with the right permit. Both have their own rules for professional photography, and they change, so we check them for your date and arrange what is needed before the session.
How early should we book a weekend at The Palace?
The best autumn Saturdays go more than a year out, and the photographers who know the venue book on the same calendar. Most couples book twelve to eighteen months ahead; send us your date and we will confirm within 24 hours.
Your Somerset County wedding
Tell us your dates, your temple and your venue — we reply within a day with availability and a collection built for your weekend.
Check Your Date