Dawn Elyse Ekern Bonker and Edward Elder III were pronounced man and wife on May 30, 2015 by Pastor David Sellers at Port Madison Lutheran Church.

The wedding took place on a lovely spring day and was blessed with the spirit of joy and happiness, portrayed by the groom and bride and highlighted by bagpiper Savannah Walker, who led the guest walk to the reception-dinner site, a trumpeter on the home’s Widow’s Walk calling guests to dinner, and the groom lighting the fuse of a British cannon following the ceremonial toasts.

Attendants include maid of honor Emily Johnson and bridesmaids Jessica Munk, Katie Bonker, Heather Vizcarra and Megan Gutierrez. The best man was Andrew Castellano and groomsmen included Jon Bonker, Joshua Gutierrez, Roger Lucero and David Chene.

The ceremony featured George Miladin, noted pianist, who provided an amazing prelude and performed “Cannon in D Major” for the processional.  Brooke Willis, soprano, sang “Lord, Be My Shepherd” based on “O mio babbina caro” by Giacomo Puccini with words by family friend Bill Brehm.

The wedding was followed by a reception and dinner at the Bonker family home.

The bride, daughter of retired Congressman Don and Carolyn Bonker, grew up in Washington, D.C., and enjoyed childhood summers on Bainbridge, and graduated from James Madison University in Virginia. She also studied at the Trinity Forum Academy and Oxford University and lived abroad in Austria before moving to Seattle, where she has worked with organizations dedicated to helping the homeless and underprivileged.

The groom, son of Edward Ross Elder and Laura Carol Brown, both deceased, was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He spent his childhood and early adulthood studying music and dance at the family’s ballet studio. He re-located to Seattle in 1998 and currently heads the contract residential sales division for Builders’ Hardware and Supply.

The couple traveled to Lake Como, Italy for their honeymoon and will reside on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle.