Surya Garigipati Photography & Films photographs Hindu temple and gurdwara weddings across New Jersey, regularly at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville, the Sri Venkateswara and Balaji temples in Bridgewater and the gurdwaras of Bridgewater, Lawrenceville, Glen Rock and Carteret, working without on-camera flash and within each temple’s rules on positions and dress, confirmed before the day.
At a glance
| Temples | BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Robbinsville; Sri Venkateswara Temple and Balaji Temple, Bridgewater; the temple halls of Middlesex County; the Ganesh Temple in Flushing |
| Gurdwaras | Bridgewater, Lawrenceville, Glen Rock and Carteret |
| How we work | No on-camera flash; soft constant light around the mandap only where the temple allows it; positions agreed with the priest; dress code followed; rules confirmed before every wedding |
| Studio | Surya Garigipati Photography & Films LLC, Flemington, New Jersey |
| Travel | Included in every collection anywhere in New Jersey |
| Experience | Weddings since 2013; more than 400 South Asian celebrations |
| Reviews | 4.9 on Google from 38 public reviews: read them |
Why temple weddings are different to photograph
The priests are running a ceremony with rules older than photography, other families may be at prayer in the same building, and each temple is run by its own trust or committee, which decides what suits its community and its deities. Rules that apply at one temple may not apply at another in the same town, and they can change. That is why we never assume: in New Jersey we photograph regularly at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville and at the Sri Venkateswara and Balaji temples in Bridgewater, and we still confirm the rules for each wedding before the day. None of it stops the photographs being wonderful. It just means knowing them before arriving, rather than finding out from a raised hand halfway through the pheras.
The temples and gurdwaras we photograph in
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Robbinsville. The carved marble mandir in Mercer County, where many Gujarati families hold the ceremony before a reception elsewhere. Our Princeton and Mercer County page covers the halls around it.
- The Sri Venkateswara Temple and the Balaji Temple, Bridgewater. One of the centres of Hindu worship in the state, where many of the Telugu and Tamil ceremonies we cover begin at dawn before moving to a ballroom by evening. See our Somerset County page.
- The temple halls of Middlesex County. The halls attached to the larger temples across Edison, Iselin and the towns around them host South Indian and Gujarati ceremonies week after week; see Middlesex County.
- The gurdwaras. Bridgewater, Lawrenceville, Glen Rock and Carteret, for the Anand Karaj. In the darbar hall we work without flash, cover our heads and stay within the gurdwara’s own rules on positions; our Sikh wedding photographer page covers the jaggo, the laavan and the reception.
- Across the river. The Ganesh Temple in Flushing, where ceremonies have taken us, on our Queens page, and the Lanham temples on our Maryland page.
The questions we ask the temple office
- Is flash allowed? We work without on-camera flash in temples as standard, so the answer rarely changes our plan, but it matters for any other photographer or guest.
- Where may photographers and videographers stand? Some temples keep a clear area around the mandap or the priests; some allow movement along the sides only.
- Can the inner sanctum or the deities be photographed? Many temples ask that the deities are not photographed.
- Is there a dress code for the team? Covered shoulders and legs, and sometimes a head covering, are common requests.
- Where do shoes go, and can tripods, light stands and microphones be carried in?
- Can lapel microphones be placed on the priest and the couple? Where it is allowed, the mantras are recorded in full.
- How long is the hall booked, and is there a hard end? Temples often schedule several ceremonies a day.
- Where can family portraits happen, and is a drone allowed on or near the grounds?
Our guide to Hindu temple wedding photography rules goes through each question and what the couple should do before the day.
How we photograph a temple ceremony without flash
With fast lenses, cameras that handle low light, and positioning. Temple halls are often lit warmly from above, and the mandap may sit in a pool of light while the edges are dark. We arrive early, look at where the light falls at the hour of your muhurtham, and choose positions that see faces rather than the backs of heads, within whatever the temple allows. Where the temple permits it, soft constant light placed well before the ceremony helps the fire and the faces both read naturally; where it does not, the cameras do the work. A Kanchipuram silk and temple jewellery read as fabric and metal only in directional light, which is why the placement matters.
Timing around the muhurtham
Temple ceremonies run to the muhurtham, which may fall early in the morning, especially at South Indian weddings. The priest’s timing comes first and everything else, including the photographs, is built around it: the baraat or arrival, the ceremony, the blessings, and family portraits before the hall’s booking ends. Our ceremony timeline gives realistic durations for each stage, and the family photo list keeps the portraits quick if the hall is needed for the next family. The South Indian and Gujarati wedding pages go through the ceremonies themselves.
The temple in the morning, the ballroom at night
Most temple weddings move to a banquet hall or hotel for the reception, and one team covers both: the ceremony within the temple’s rules, a portrait stop on the way, and the ballroom lit before the guests arrive. Cinematography has been in-house since 2016, so the film team works from the same shot list, and where microphones are allowed the mantras are in the feature film in full. Check your date and Surya replies personally within 24 hours; see packages and prices for how a temple morning and a reception are priced as events.
What couples wrote on Google
"He knew the muhurtham was at 10:52 and was in position at 10:50. Nobody had to tell him anything."
"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
Questions couples ask about temple weddings
Can you photograph inside a temple or gurdwara?
Yes. The team photographs regularly at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville, the Sri Venkateswara and Balaji temples in Bridgewater, and the gurdwaras in Bridgewater, Lawrenceville, Glen Rock and Carteret, following each one’s rules on flash, positions and dress.
Do you use flash in temples?
No. We work without on-camera flash in temples as standard, with fast lenses and positioning, and add soft constant light around the mandap only where the temple permits it.
Who confirms the temple’s rules?
We do, before every wedding, and we ask the couple to introduce us to the priest or to let us do it, so positions are agreed in advance. The guide to temple photography rules lists the questions to ask.
Can the mantras be recorded for the film?
Where the temple allows microphones, yes: lapel microphones on the priest and the couple, so the ceremony is in the feature film in full.
Our muhurtham is at dawn and the reception is across the county. Is that one booking?
Yes. Collections are built around your events, not a block of hours. One team covers the temple in the morning, a portrait stop on the way and the ballroom at night.
How much does a temple wedding photographer cost in New Jersey?
Single-celebration collections begin in the mid four figures, and most couples who celebrate across a full wedding weekend make a five-figure investment, set out in a written, itemised proposal.
Your temple wedding
Tell us your temple, your date and your muhurtham. Surya replies personally within 24 hours.
Check Your Date