“On Saturday, April 30, the Gig Harbor waterfront will host honorable guests, bridesmaids and groomsmen, and friends of family, all witnessing the nuptials of a special couple. Gig Harbor Mayor Gretchen Wilbert will officiate the ceremony, which will be followed by refreshments including cakes and a fashion show. Public invited.”

While this sort of announcement may not cause anyone to read it out loud to friends, those wondering upon the wedding at Gig Harbor’s Skansie Brothers Park and taking a first look at the bride and groom will certainly turn their heads. And that’s not just because the two lovebirds will be pampered — as any bride and groom should be. The couple, called Princess Buttercup and Peanut Brittle, are…dogs.

They are the beloved pooches of Merrillee Schedin, the owner of a Gig Harbor dog apparel design business appropriately called Buttercup and Peanut. And yes, the wedding is “for real.” After all, the two dogs, who sleep in separate rooms, can’t wait to see each other in the morning — isn’t that what love is about? The dog fashion show, a cake for dogs and another for humans (just in case), and the mayor helping “tie the knot” are also part of the plan, as are beautiful fashions including the bride’s dress and the groom’s tuxedo. There are even theme colors: pink and light green.

“I’ve been planning it for a year,” Schedin said. “The dog apparel business is a big business. People treat their dogs more like children. I thought it would be cute and fun.”

Schedin acknowledges that beyond being an unusual community event, this is a clever way to market her relatively new business. Although her outfits are carried by several stores across the country and sell quite well on the Internet (www.buttercupandpeanut.com), she needs creative ways for getting the word out. Techniques like dressing her dogs well in public — jewelry and all — work as well.

Schedin isn’t new to marketing. After helping her husband promote his business, Dave’s Auto Repair, for a couple of decades or so, she has found ways to reach to new customers. But there is only so far that creativity can go in a repair shop venture. Now a custom sewing business for dogs, that’s a whole new game of fetch.

The Gig Harbor woman sewed her first dress at age 8. After starting to make custom clothes and jewelry for the two dogs (one of whom, Peanut, technically belongs to daughter Rebecca), friends and strangers alike noticed, asking where they can get some for their little friends. Made of high-quality fabrics and even vintage embellishments, the attire is certainly attractive enough for some people to wear. And some do — like Dave, who often wears an outfit to match Buttercup’s, who often goes to work with him.

“Even men get into this,” Schedin said, and asked to confirm that this isn’t just a women’s hobby, she said, “It sure isn’t!”

After giving some outfits away, and selling some on eBay, Schedin eventually took the plunge, and left Dave to the repair shop so she could follow her creative forces. She took 22-year-old Rebecca, along for the ride to help design and make jewelry. Younger son John helps now and then, especially when it comes to printing the promotional items: The family has its own printing press at home.

Schedin says Buttercup and Peanut are definitely treated more like little people than dogs. They even have their own car seats and beds with linens (which at least Buttercup doesn’t use since like any spoiled child the pooch likes to sleep with her “parents.”)

For business owners looking to make a splash through marketing, Schedin recommends listening to those things “that pop into your mind; nothing is silly marketing-wise.” Pass it by your friends, see if it would interest them and how they respond to it, then, move ahead, she said.

There was one piece of advice she didn’t give but probably should have: Pay attention to a creative whiz like her, come shake some paws and mingle with the other tails at the Gig Harbor wedding, and get your own creative thinking kick-started so the next big marketing buzz is about your business. Oh yeah, don’t forget to bring your dog.