Malayali Wedding Photographer in New Jersey

Surya Garigipati Photography & Films photographs Malayali and Kerala weddings across New Jersey and New York, including the thalikettu at the muhurtham, the pudava, the garlands and the circling of the nilavilakku. Surya is Telugu, grew up inside South Indian weddings and leads every ceremony himself, with a second photographer and an in-house film team.

At a glance

Traditions	Malayali ceremonies, among the Telugu, Tamil and Kannada South Indian weddings the studio photographs
Muhurtham	Covered whenever the priest sets it, including early mornings
Studio	Surya Garigipati Photography & Films LLC, Flemington, New Jersey
Team	Lead and second photographer, cinematographers in-house since 2016
Travel	New Jersey, New York City and Philadelphia included in every collection
Reviews	4.9 on Google from 38 public reviews: read them

Why is a Malayali wedding a challenge to photograph?

Because it is short. A traditional Kerala Hindu ceremony is built around the tying of the thali at the muhurtham, and the whole ritual can be over in a few minutes. There is no second take. A photographer who has never stood at a Malayali mandapam can spend those minutes finding a position; one who knows the order is already there, with a second photographer on the other side for the families’ faces. Surya is Telugu and grew up inside South Indian ceremonies, so the early muhurtham, the lamp and the order of the rituals are familiar rather than explained on the day.

Which moments do we plan for?

• The bride getting ready. The kasavu or silk saree, the gold, and the jasmine in her hair, photographed by the window before the family arrives.
• The groom’s arrival. Welcomed by the bride’s family with the lamp and the thalam; in many families the bride’s brother washes his feet.
• The thalikettu. The thali tied at the muhurtham, the single most important frame, covered from two angles with no flash.
• Pudava kodukkal and the garlands. The groom presenting the bride with the pudava, and the exchange of garlands.
• Kanyadanam and the nilavilakku. The giving away and the couple walking around the lamp, which lights their faces beautifully if we are low and close.
• The sadya. The feast on banana leaves, which belongs in the album as much as the ceremony does.
• The reception. In the evening, lit with soft, constant light rather than on-camera flash.

What if our wedding has a church ceremony?

Many Malayali families celebrate with a church wedding, and many weddings bring two traditions together. We plan a church ceremony the way we plan any ceremony: positions agreed with the officiant in advance, and two photographers so both families are covered. Our guide to fusion and interfaith weddings explains how two ceremonies share one timeline.

How do you record such a short ceremony on film?

With several cameras running from the start, lapel microphones on the priest and the couple, and a feed from the sound system, so the nadaswaram, the chenda or the recorded music and every word are captured. The feature film carries the ceremony in full; the highlight film tells the whole day in four to six minutes. See our Indian wedding videographer page.

Other South Indian weddings

Telugu and Tamil weddings, with their own muhurthams, the jeelakarra-bellam, the talambralu, the kashi yatra and the oonjal, are covered in our guide to South Indian wedding photography in New Jersey, and all of them on the Hindu wedding photographer page.

How do we book?

Send us your date, your venue and the muhurtham. Surya replies personally within 24 hours; after a twenty-minute call you receive a written proposal, itemised to the dollar. See packages and prices or check your date.

Questions Malayali couples ask us