Dear Party Pop, My story is about what my fiancé did for me before our wedding. I was so stressed out with all of the planning, and trying to please everyone, that I was miserable. It was supposed to be a happy time but instead I was dreading making arrangements. The small little wedding I envisioned having was growing by the day as my parents kept telling me this person needed to be invited and if this person was invited then that person needed to be. And then Hugh’s family started doing the same thing. I couldn’t blame them for wanting everyone to see their children get married, but I didn’t want it to be a spectacle, I wanted it to be romantic and intimate. With just three months to go before the wedding it had ballooned into the event of the decade and I had relinquished all control. I just kept reminding myself that the wedding wasn’t really the important thing. I was marrying the man of my dreams and that was all that mattered. The load of invitations was mailed out on a Friday. My mom and future mother-in-law went for margaritas to celebrate. I went shopping, hoping to get my mind off the extravaganza to come. I thought I would buy some really sexy lingerie to wear on each night of my honeymoon. I especially wanted to find something special for the wedding night. And maybe something new to wear that night, as Hugh was making me dinner. I got to Hugh’s around six and he was waiting for me at the door with a small suitcase, picnic basket and bottle of champagne. He swept me into his arms, planted a warm, wet kiss on my lips and told me he was taking me away for the weekend. A weekend with no talk about the wedding. Then he whispered something so dirty in my ear that my whole body tingled with excitement for what lay ahead. I grabbed one of my shopping bags out of my car and off we went. A romantic getaway was exactly what I needed and leave it to Hugh to know my desires. We drove to a beautiful place in the Los Padres National Forest and stayed in a small but well kept cabin surrounded by trees and views of the Pacific Ocean below. It was the perfect escape. After we closed the door to the cabin Hugh rushed right over to me. He laid his hands on my backside and brought me close to his chest. He whispered how much he loved me and wanted to prove it all weekend. We rarely left the cabin all weekend. Hugh pampered me and rubbed me and caressed me and found oh so many ways to please me. My arousals made him crave me and the two of us were in sync completely. When we did venture outside it was to take long walks along the beach holding hands, drink champagne in the moonlight and picnic under a big tree. We were even adventurous enough to explore each other’s bodies in the cool night air, sneaking around until we found just the right spot to avoid any accidental run-ins. We never once talked about the wedding or our families or anything back home. I was totally absorbed in Hugh and he made me feel like a goddess and perfect mate. I admit I did think about the wedding once or twice, but I kept it to myself. And being with Hugh like we were actually made me anxious for the wedding. I desperately wanted to be his wife and all thoughts of the wedding plans just sort of faded away. I knew the passion we felt for each other would only intensify with time and I decided that when I was standing on the altar saying “I do” I would be thinking of this weekend and waiting with anticipation for the reception to end so that we could consummate our love again and again and again. I hated to leave our love nest, as I called it, and we decided we’d definitely go back. When we returned home, I felt lighter, happier, and much less tense. The weekend had been the best thing we’d ever done and thinking about it made me anxious for the honeymoon. Spending time, just the two of us was exactly what I needed to make it through the next few months. Hugh had given me the best wedding gift of all and I strongly recommend a getaway like ours to any bride and groom stressed out. I guarantee it will take all your troubles away. Sincerely, Kate Massey