Elena Howell and John Harnish
October 5, 2013
Ceremony and reception:
Seattle Aquarium
John Harnish, 32, originally from Billings, Montana, and vice president at Harnish Group Inc. in Tukwila, and Elena Howell, 38, a native of Irkutsk, Russia, and senior financial planner at Evergreen Gavekal in Bellevue, first met at a friend’s Memorial Day barbecue. After a second meeting at a birthday party at Blue Martini in Bellevue, the couple fell hard for one another. “The place was packed, but it didn’t feel like there was anyone else in the bar besides just the two of us,” says Harnish. “I knew at that time I was crazy about her.” A memorable summer date at the Seattle Great Wheel and a special inside joke about starfish led the Bellevue-based couple to plan a starfish-themed wedding at the Seattle Aquarium. Following the wedding, the couple honeymooned at Le Royal Méridien Beach Resort and Spa in Dubai.
