Judge will be asked to release wedding photos

State officials hope to persuade a judge in Morristown this week to approve a proposal to distribute photographs and videos to nearly 1,700 brides and grooms left without wedding mementoes when Celebration Studios abruptly closed in January.

The state Division of Consumer Affairs in January filed a consumer fraud action against now-defunct Chester-based Celebration Studios, and got court orders to freeze its assets and impound wedding film, videos and DVDs for which couples contracted but never received. Most of the materials are in the form of unedited film footage, officials said.