Surya Garigipati Photography & Films is a South Asian wedding photography and film studio based in Flemington, New Jersey. Since his first wedding in 2013, Surya has photographed more than 400 South Asian celebrations — Hindu, Sikh, South Indian and fusion — across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and more than thirty cities and destinations. The studio is rated 4.9 on Google by 38 families, and Surya photographs every wedding himself.
At a glance
| Studio | Surya Garigipati Photography & Films LLC |
| Based in | Flemington, New Jersey |
| Speciality | South Asian weddings — Hindu, Sikh, South Indian and fusion — photography and cinematic films |
| Experience | Weddings since 2013; more than 400 celebrations across more than thirty cities and destinations |
| Recognition | Maharani Weddings Platinum Guide Vendor; The Knot Featured Vendor; WeddingWire Couples' Choice; published in South Asian Bride |
| Reviews | 4.9 on Google from 38 public reviews — read every one |
| Coverage | New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, Virginia and the DMV, nationwide and destination |
| Team | Surya as lead photographer on every wedding, a second photographer, cinematographers in-house since 2016, drone where the venue allows |
| Pricing | By event, not by the hour — see the investment page |
| Enquiries | Check your date — a reply within 24 hours |
What makes a South Asian wedding photographer different?
A South Asian wedding does not pause for a photographer. The jaimala lasts four seconds; the moment a mother sees her daughter in the mandap lasts one; the fourth laav ends before anyone has stood up. A photographer who has to be told what is coming next will always be a second behind. Surya grew up inside these traditions, so the important moment is anticipated and framed, never chased — and you never have to explain your own ceremony to the person photographing it.
The work sits between two crafts: documentary storytelling — the real laughter, the aunties running the show from the second row, the groom's shoes disappearing — and refined editorial portraiture that belongs on a wall. Our journal piece on editorial and documentary wedding photography explains how the two sit together in one gallery.
The traditions we photograph
"South Asian wedding" covers a dozen different ceremonies, and a photographer who treats them as one misses the heart of each. We photograph them differently because they are different:
| Tradition | The moments we plan around | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Gujarati | The pokwanu at the mandap gate, the antarpat lowering, the mangal phera, and a garba the night before | Hindu weddings |
| Punjabi | Chunni chadhana, jaggo, sehrabandi, the baraat with dhol, the milni and the doli | Planning the baraat |
| Sikh | The Anand Karaj at the gurdwara — the four laavan around the Guru Granth Sahib — and the jaggo and doli around it | Sikh weddings |
| Telugu | Pellikuthuru and pellikoduku, the jeelakarra-bellam at the exact muhurtham, the mangalsutra and talambralu | Telugu & Tamil weddings |
| Tamil | The kashi yatra, the oonjal, the mangalyadharanam with the nadaswaram at full volume, and the saptapadi | Telugu & Tamil weddings |
| Bengali | The subho drishti behind betel leaves, the sindoor daan and the ghomta | Hindu weddings |
| Marathi & Sindhi | The antarpat and the mangalashtak; family rituals that each household does its own way | Hindu weddings |
| Fusion | A Hindu ceremony in the morning and a Catholic, Sikh or Jewish one in the afternoon, each with its own timeline | What fusion couples wrote |
South Asian wedding photography for the whole weekend
A South Asian wedding is not one event. It is a mehndi with its own light, a haldi that ruins everyone's clothes, a sangeet that runs late, a muhurtham at an hour nobody enjoys, and a reception that has to feel like a different night entirely. Each gets its own plan.
- Every event. Mehndi, haldi, sangeet or garba, the ceremony and the reception — covered as one continuous story by a team that knows your families by the final day.
- The right team. Two to five photographers depending on scale, so both families' mornings are covered and someone is always at the door when the baraat arrives.
- Planned properly. A timeline call, a family shot list we build together, and a venue walkthrough before the day.
- Delivered with care. Sneak peeks within 48–72 hours, the full gallery in six to eight weeks, a private gallery with every image, a print release, and heirloom albums designed with you.
The services page sets out each kind of coverage, from the full wedding weekend to pre-wedding sessions, and our hour-by-hour guide to the wedding weekend shows how the days fit together.
South Asian wedding films
Photographs hold a moment; film holds the sound of it — the vows as they were spoken, the speech that broke everyone, the dhol at the baraat. We brought cinematography in-house in 2016 so that photography and film work from one shot list, and no two vendors fight for the same position at the mandap.
| Film | What it is | When it arrives |
|---|---|---|
| Highlight film | Four to six minutes, scored to music, covering the whole celebration | Ten to twelve weeks |
| Feature film | Twenty to thirty minutes with the vows, speeches and ceremony in full | About three weeks after the highlight |
| Same-day edit | A cut of the morning and the ceremony, screened at the reception that night | The same day |
| Social cuts | Vertical edits for Instagram and Reels | Alongside the main film |
Everything is captured in 4K on multiple cameras, with a licensed drone where the venue allows and full audio on the vows and every speech. Watch real weddings — among them Bharat & Bhuvana at the Gaylord National Resort and Spoorthi & Richard at The Palace at Somerset — on the wedding films page.
Where we photograph South Asian weddings
Home is New Jersey, and we are on the road most of the season. Travel within 90 miles of New Jersey is included in every collection, and travel within the continental United States is included in the Wedding Weekend collection.
- New Jersey — The Palace at Somerset Park, The Venetian, The Legacy Castle, Park Château, the Grand Marquis, Crystal Plaza and Addison Park, and the temples and gurdwaras across the state. See our Indian wedding photographer in New Jersey page and the guide to the best Indian wedding venues in New Jersey.
- New York — Manhattan ballrooms, Brooklyn waterfronts, Queens and Long Island, and Westchester estates. See our Indian wedding photographer in NYC page and Indian wedding venues in New York City.
- Philadelphia — Center City, the Main Line, King of Prussia and South Jersey. See our Indian wedding photographer in Philadelphia page and Indian wedding venues in Philadelphia.
- Virginia and the DMV — Northern Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland and Richmond. See our Indian wedding photographer in Virginia page and planning a Hindu wedding in Virginia and the DMV.
- Across the US — Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami and California.
- Destination — India, the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe, quoted per event with flights and stay written into the proposal.
How to choose a South Asian wedding photographer
Once the portfolios all look good, these are the questions that separate studios:
- Do they know your ceremony? A photographer who has to be told when the kanyadaan or the fourth laav is coming will miss it.
- Who is actually coming? Ask for the names of the lead and second photographer. Surya shoots every wedding personally, with the same people each time.
- Is film in the same team? One shot list means nobody stands in front of anybody at the mandap.
- Is the full ceremony delivered? Not just highlights — the whole ceremony, in the gallery and on film.
- Are the reviews public? Read them on Google under the couple's own name.
Our longer guide, how to choose an Indian wedding photographer in New Jersey, goes through each one.
What does a South Asian wedding photographer cost?
No two of our weddings have ever cost the same, because a two-hundred-guest single day and a six-hundred-guest, four-day weekend need genuinely different teams. With us, single-celebration collections begin in the mid four figures, and most couples who celebrate across a full wedding weekend make a five-figure investment. The number moves with the days and events, the size of the team, film, guest scale, albums and travel. The investment page explains each one, and our guide to what an Indian wedding photographer costs in New Jersey shows the wider market.
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.
"Choosing Surya and his team for our wedding was one of the best decisions I have made. I was captivated by his work and wanted him to capture my two wedding ceremonies and reception…" — Ashvini Yedla
"We had great pleasure working with Surya and his team for Sangeet, Haldi, pellikuthuru & pellikoduku and wedding. His work and quality of pictures and videos were amazing." — Divya Kathyayani Bandaru
"Surya and his team did a wonderful job for my Hindu wedding and reception this past August and we cannot thank him enough. He far exceeded our expectations…" — Ashley Deonarine
Questions South Asian couples ask us
Who is Surya Garigipati?
Surya Garigipati is a South Asian wedding photographer and filmmaker based in Flemington, New Jersey. Since his first wedding in 2013 his studio, Surya Garigipati Photography & Films, has photographed more than 400 celebrations — Hindu, Sikh, South Indian and fusion — and is rated 4.9 on Google by 38 families. Surya photographs every wedding personally.
Which South Asian wedding traditions do you photograph?
Hindu ceremonies of every tradition — Gujarati, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Bengali and Sindhi — the Sikh Anand Karaj, and fusion weddings with a Hindu ceremony and a Catholic, Sikh or Jewish one on the same day. Surya grew up inside these traditions, so the rituals are anticipated rather than explained to us on the day.
Do you photograph South Asian weddings outside New Jersey?
Yes. We are based in New Jersey and photograph across New York, Philadelphia, Virginia and the DMV, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami and California, plus destination weddings in India, the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe. Travel within 90 miles of New Jersey is included in every collection; destination travel is quoted openly.
Do you offer South Asian wedding films as well as photography?
Yes. Cinematography has been in-house since 2016, so one team works from one shot list. Films include a four-to-six-minute highlight film, a twenty-to-thirty-minute feature film with the vows and speeches in full, vertical social cuts, and a same-day edit screened at the reception.
How much does a South Asian wedding photographer cost?
It depends on the number of events, the size of the team and whether a film is included. With us, single-celebration collections begin in the mid four figures, and most couples who celebrate across a full wedding weekend make a five-figure investment. Every couple receives a written, itemised proposal before deciding anything.
How far in advance should we book a South Asian wedding photographer?
Most couples book twelve to eighteen months out, and peak-season Saturdays go first, often more than a year ahead; we are already booking wedding weekends into 2027 and 2028. Send us your date and Surya will confirm whether it is still open within 24 hours.
Your South Asian wedding
Tell us your dates, your venue and your traditions — we reply within a day with availability and a collection built for your weekend.
Check Your Date