Canberra Children's Photographer » wedding photography

Farah + Paul

Christine Pobke — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 11:24:31 +0000

Will it rain? Will it not rain? The threatening weather predictions made Farah + Paul all the more prepared for their beautiful wedding on Saturday… and no, it did not rain (thankfully). :) How could it? These two just radiate warmth and kindness, and I’m certain that their pure will for sunshine made it gloriously beautiful all day long. :)

Theirs was my last wedding for 2011 – and I am so supremely grateful to them and all of my gorgeous couples this year. Thank you for making 2011 such a joyous 12 months of growth, happiness, delight, success, and and and!!! :) I’m so excited that I get to end the year with Farah and Paul and their absolutely perfect day. A trillion billion thanks. :)

Pobke Photography is closed until the New Year… so happiest of holidays to you and yours, and enjoy the festive time off! xoxo

Deb + Danny

Christine Pobke — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 13:45:34 +0000

A sweet, kind couple with a shared beautiful love of good friends, good food, good travel, good family, good laughter. Deb and Danny’s celebration incorporated all of this and more… I loved being in and amongst all the cultural histories sitting in that room (Australian, Fijian, Tibetan, Indian, Chinese, American… the list goes on), and it pleases me to no end that I got to witness their union last weekend. :)

Deb’s attention to detail made for a most scrumptious treat for my camera (and the treats themselves were rather delicious, I must add), so enjoy all the ways in which she endeavored to make their wedding gorgeous! :)

Karina + William

Christine Pobke — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:47:59 +0000

Karina and William… Where do I start with these two? I fell in love with their story, their love for family, their love for each other. And when Karina wrote that there would be 17 adults and nine “amazing nieces and nephews” all there to celebrate their wedding that was really “them,” I just about melted. Of COURSE I would do it, I nodded to myself as I read along. My business brain, on the other hand, urged me to think twice as I’d promised myself to never shoot a “double header” — i.e. two weddings in one weekend. But something about Karina and her description of her day made me want to meet her and know her and be the one to photograph their very special intimate wedding. And when I rang her to chat a bit more, she shared with me her exciting news: she + William were expecting their first child. I knew then and there that I had made the right decision in ignoring my business brain: it was MORE than right. You see, He-Pobke and I had just learned that we too were expecting our first baby. And so, with that kindred connection, I eagerly anticipated Karina + William’s celebration.

It was everything I expected and more (well, the heat was “more” for one thing). :) The love in that Sydney home was probably felt in neighbouring cities hundreds of kilometres away. There was dancing and cha-cha’s; children singing; rings being passed around for blessings; poems cited; stories told; and food. There was amazing food. (I ate and ate and ate some more.) :)

Thank you, Karina and William and your beautiful lovely families. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this amazingly intimate, preciously gorgeous ceremony. It was both an honour and privilege to be there, and I can’t wait to meet your darling new raspberry, who is bound to be so very loved by everyone in your family. Congratulations x infinity. :) xoxo

Carrie + Dan

Christine Pobke — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:08:05 +0000

Carrie is the kind of bride that, in spite of it being a day about HER, asks you how YOU’RE doing every ten minutes. She’s a carer. One of those super thoughtful, considerate people that are born with a certain special genuinely caring gene. And so when you spend time with her, you can’t help but love her. :)

And Dan? Well geez. Dan is a blokey version of Carrie. Equally caring and thoughtful and genetically armed with that considerate gene… So when the two of them come together, it’s totally clear why. Thoughtful meets thoughtful. Kind meets kind. :)

Carrie and Dan: thank you a billion times over for making my day so much fun. And for allowing me to be a part of such a beautiful celebration… I’m so excited for both of you and can’t wait to see what the future holds for you guys. So much love to you both! :)

[Special thanks to my gorgeous pal and mentor, Kelly Tunney, for being a fantastic 2nd shooter on the day... You make me happy, friend!!!]

The Gentle Art of Catching the Bouquet

Christine Pobke — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:19:00 +0000

Jenny and Anthony

Christine Pobke — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:59:37 +0000

I absolutely love traveling for weddings… Even if this travel is only interstate, it allows me to really take in a beautiful new scene, and challenge myself to photograph things a bit differently. Jenny and Anthony’s 11.11.11 Hunter Valley wedding was a beautiful excuse to get away from lovely Canberra and photograph in one of the most gorgeous wine regions in this country.

I think I’m incredibly lucky to have a profession where I get to do what I love. But at the end of the day, I know that it’s my clients, my brides, my families, that really make me feel incredibly lucky. Sure, taking photos is fun – but having people appreciate YOU is something I don’t take for granted and something I am so very grateful for. Jenny is one such bride. She didn’t let the fact that visa issues made it a bit more difficult for some family members to fly in from the Philippines bother her (her bridesmaid sister flew in hours before the wedding!). When asked if she was worried or if she had a backup plan, Jenny replied, “I’m positive. I knew they’d make it.” Nor did she let the grey clouds dampen her spirits: “I think it’ll clear!” And halfway through her beautiful day, she turned to me and said, “Thank you so much for being here. We’re so excited to have you… Please let me know if I can get you anything or if you need anything at all!” On her wedding day, she made sure that everyone was well fed and happy.

This is the type of person Jenny is, so it’s no surprise she found herself a man who complimented her in every way. A supportive, loving, endearing Anthony, who was clearly besotted with Jenny all day long. Before every click of the shutter, I had to make sure I had a few with Anthony looking at me – he was so mesmerised by his bride… it was really a beautiful thing to witness.

Jenny and Anthony (and your beautiful daughter Charlee): thank YOU for being such thoughtful, caring clients. It was such a pleasure to be there with you and celebrate you three on the most special day of your lives. I loved being a part of your families for a day and hearing everyone’s loving words about you both. I hope these photos help you relive the happy, beautiful, wonderful day! :) xoxo

Diana + Tim

Christine Pobke — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 11:15:53 +0000

Sometimes you have an opportunity to meet someone and instantly connect with them. It doesn’t matter whether that someone is a stranger you sit next to on a plane or a friend of a friend of a friend you chatted with for five minutes at that one holiday party. From these fleeting, intimate moments, you realise there is something incredibly special about them.

The day Diana (AKA Didy) called me, I was sitting in the favourite booth of my favourite cafe in Canberra, Tilley’s. I had my laptop set up, ready to do some editing work for a recent shoot I had completed. Her name was Didy, she said, and she and her partner Tim were finally getting married after a long courtship (over ten years!). I scribbled notes quickly as she spoke of Tim and their relationship. “Big wedding,” “lots of siblings and family,” “easy going bride,” I had written. And then as our conversation progressed further, she told me about the year she had just had. It was beautiful, it was tragic, it was heartbreaking, it was terrifying. Didy learned she had cancer and fought her way through it with the strength she barely knew she had and all the love that surrounded her from her family and friends. And tragically, she underwent all of this whilst dealing with the sudden loss of her beloved father. Didy didn’t tell me this so that I’d feel sorry for her – she told me because it was her life, and Tim was her life, and this wedding was more than just a simple celebration of their union. It was a celebration of life during the hardest of life’s tragedies and challenges, and it was going to be celebrated in front of everyone who loved her, who loved Tim, who loved them together.

So there I sat in my booth, crying and trying to compose myself and jot notes and actually listen to what she was saying. Tim, she said, was by her side for every single moment. He comforted her, he held her, he watched over her, he protected her. Listening to her talk about Tim made me want to drive over to Sydney that afternoon just to meet both of them and hug them.

When the morning finally came to photograph this beautiful couple, I was nervous and excited and emotional before I even picked up my camera. I walked into their home and saw the flutter of love surrounding Didy. I’m not sure whether it was her excitement radiating or her father watching over her, but whatever it was, the glow surrounding her emanated in her stride, her laugh, her everything.

For these reasons, theirs is a wedding I will never forget. Thank you, Didy and Tim, for allowing me the honour of being there that day, to experience a small part of your lives. Hearing your words about each other, your families’ toasts to each of you, and the LOVE that was in that room that day is something that will forever remain in my heart. I hope that this small glimpse allows you to relive the specialness of that day… Congratulations again on your new life together, and I can’t wait to see you both again.

[Special thanks to Jo Bartholomew for coming out and being such an awesome second shooter that day!!]

May + Adrian

Christine Pobke — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:23:12 +0000

May and Adrian were married last Saturday in front of an intimate group of family and friends. It was the first wedding I photographed since being back from Vietnam so I admit I was nervous when packing up my gear to head out that morning… But thankfully, my nervousness was unfounded — it was as if my eyes and muscles knew exactly what to do the minute I walked in through that door (thank you eyes and muscles!). :)

Thank you, May and Adrian, for being such gracious and generous and thoughtful people. Saturday was absolutely beautiful, and I’m sure your extra large, super duper Singaporean wedding will be even more spectacular. I’m so very happy for you both!

[Special shout out to Rosie and Walter, the maid of honour and the best man, both of whom were just too much fun to chat and photograph throughout the day. Love you guys! And big thanks to Kate at Shaw Vineyards, who always takes such special care of me when I'm there. THANK YOU! xoxo]

Mark + Allison (Victoria Wedding Photographer)

Christine Pobke — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:54:07 +0000

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About a year and a half ago, Mark, a fellow North American transplant photographer living in Canberra, asked me to come along and photograph him and his beautiful girlfriend, Allison. But it wasn’t to be an ordinary couple’s shoot – he was going to propose to her during the middle of it. It was so sweet I cried (while shooting, of course). She said yes, and months later they asked me to be their wedding photographer in Victoria, British Columbia. I too said yes. (Emphatically, of course.) :)

Well, their wedding was on Saturday in front of 60 wonderful family and friends. It was quaint and cozy and touching. It was lovely and sweet and happy. Everything that a wedding should be. I felt so lucky to have been the one to come out and photograph their beautiful union, I cried over and over again throughout the ceremony. Lucky for me I had an awesome wingman, Kip Beelman, who did an amazing job capturing so many of the following awesome moments while I was busy dabbing my eyes. :)

Thank you, Allie and Mark, for being such a graciously warm + genuinely thoughtful couple. I know I can speak for both myself and Kip when I say it was an absolute an honour to have been there. Happy honeymooning and see you back in the ‘Berra! :)

[I need to thank Kip again for just being so frickin' amazing. Seriously, my friend: You. Rock. Thank you thank you thank you.]

Anthony + Emelia (Gerringong Wedding Photographer)

Christine Pobke — Wed, 18 May 2011 02:16:13 +0000

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So if you live in Canberra, you too have experienced the bitter, bitter cold that has hit us so early this year! It’s totally not fair to be forced to walk around in Ugg boots, wrapped in a snuggie, and closed off in your office with a radiator heater in May. But fellow Canberrans, fear not: there is a magical place that’s ten degrees warmer, ten times more beautiful (at least!) and has both hills and ocean. And it’s only a short two hour drive away: Gerringong.

This magical place is where Anthony and Emelia tied the knot in front of all of their family and friends… And if you know the couple, you know that it suited them to a tee: they’re breezy, they’re lovely, they’re warm. (Not to mention drop dead gorgeous.) Thank you A + E, for trusting me to capture this beautiful day in such a wonderful place. I hope you’re both enjoying your honeymoon in the Maldives! (I keep telling myself that I’m only 10% jealous and 90% happy for you but in all honesty, I’m totally jealous.) (And happy for you.) :) Sip a cocktail for me at the equator!! :)

[Big big thanks to my awesome helper/second shooter, John Benavente: you are amazing, my friend! So glad you were there to spend the arvo with me!]
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