The People

A small team of photographers and videographers based across Gqeberha, Cape Town and Johannesburg - each one trained to see the way VanBode sees. Every wedding is planned by Amy, and every gallery and film is personally curated and edited by her before it reaches you. Meet the people behind the work.

Four women in pastel dresses, one in a wedding dress, standing and sitting on a grassy area in a park with trees in the background, possibly during a wedding or photoshoot. Port Elizabeth Golf Club, Gqeberha
Young woman with long brown hair wearing a denim jacket, black t-shirt, and a tan crossbody bag standing outdoors at night near a tree and a green-lit wall. Gqeberha wedding photographer.

Amy Bode

Founder & Creative Director | Cape Town

Amy founded VanBode over a decade ago with a single belief that wedding photography should be timeless, clean and entirely without filler. With ten years of weddings behind her, she is the creative force that shapes every aspect of the VanBode experience. Amy personally plans every wedding timeline, briefs the team on exactly what to look for, and curates and edits every gallery and film that leaves the studio. Her eye for beauty, refined over years of shooting and studying the craft, is the standard every VanBode wedding is held to.

A woman sitting on a white wicker outdoor bench in front of green shrubbery, smiling at the camera. Gqeberha wedding photographer.

Julie Aarts

Lead Photographer | Gqeberha

Julie has been part of VanBode for six years and is the heartbeat of our Gqeberha operation. She and Amy studied photography together at NMU and share the same visual language - which is exactly why Julie now leads shoots in the Eastern Cape. During the week she lectures photography at NMU, which means she's constantly immersed in the craft, the theory and the technique. When Julie is at your wedding, VanBode is at your wedding.

A young man sitting on a black bench outdoors, with a white wall, green leafy plants, and a tree in the background, during daylight. Gqeberha wedding photographer and videographer.

Shane van Heerden

Photographer & Videographer | Gqeberha

Shane shoots both photo and video and joined the VanBode team three years ago after studying at NMU alongside Amy and Julie. Based in Gqeberha, he works as a professional videographer during the week - which means he arrives at every wedding sharp, practiced and ready. Shane is the kind of person who notices the moments before they happen.

A woman looking through a camera's viewfinder in a helicopter, with sunlight illuminating her face. Gqeberha wedding photographer and videographer

Curé Alchin

Photographer & Videographer | Johannesburg

Curé brings eight years of experience across both photo and video to every wedding she shoots. Based in Johannesburg, she leads our Gauteng operation with a lens that's as technically sharp as it is emotionally intuitive. Whether she's behind a camera or behind an edit, Curé's work carries the same clean, intentional quality that defines everything VanBode puts its name to.