Part of maintaining a happy marriage, especially after many years together, means doing things to keep the flame burning. Sometimes with the hustle and bustle of everyday life and parenting, it can be hard to find the time to spend with each other and cultivate the relationship. Of course my husband and I always have our bi-weekly date nights where we spend time kid free, but sometimes you need a little more than a couple hours.

So from time-to-time, in an effort to put a smile on my husband’s face and to keep the flame burning, I like to plan a nice little getaway for just the two of us.

But here’s the thing; with the most recent one, I wanted to surprise him. So planning it took a little more thought and creativity. Below is a brief rundown of how I pulled off the ultimate spontaneous couple’s getaway so that you can plan one yourself!

1. Scheduling Time Off
   I think the hardest part of the entire process is scheduling the time off. Because we work together, it can be very difficult for both of us to take off at the same time and just close the office. You may have a different experience because I’m sure you’ll know your own work schedule. But clearing your husband’s schedule is another story.Since things tend to get busy at the beginning and end of the month, planning a trip in the middle of the month was best for us. Unless you go to your husband’s boss or HR team, you may need to tell a little fib. I told my husband I needed him to take off a few days because my old college friends were coming to town and I wanted us to entertain them. This way, he didn’t suspect that I was trying to plan something behind his back, but he could definitely secure the dates for the trip.
2. Setting the Budget
   Next up is setting the budget. We have joint accounts and separate accounts. Since I wanted this to be a surprise, I decided to pull funds from my personal account to avoid speculation. Then I booked the hotel reservation and flight using a Visa gift card. This way there was no paper trail (bank or credit card statements) that could possibly give away my surprise. For the spending money I wanted to have, I simply put a small portion of my pay onto a gift card and hid them away for the trip.
3. Choosing a Destination
   Next on the list was finding a destination to travel to. While I’m more of a hopeless romantic, my husband is more of an adventurer and loves to try fun and daring new things. So I did a quick search to find out what things might interest my husband. Checking out sites catered to men, such as CraveOnline, came in handy. This way I could find out about fun and exciting events that were going on that would appeal more to his taste.
4. Packing His Suitcase
   Probably the most challenging part aside from the scheduling was packing his suitcase. I knew he’d notice a suitcase sitting in the room or clothes missing from the drawer so I had to be very cautious in how I packed. Because we were going to a warmer climate, it was a bit easier than if we’d decided to go the winter time. Therefore, packing up his shorts and things of that nature wouldn’t be too suspicious. It was a bit like an extended laundry day. Then I placed the suitcase and left it in a storage space until it was almost time for the trip. Another option here might be to break the news so he can pack his own bag, or pack things that he doesn’t wear on the regular basis.
5. Breaking the News
   This was the fun part: Telling him that I had planned this entire trip for us to get away and spend some much needed time together. There are plenty of ways in which you can do this. For me however, I pretended like we were going to pick up my old college buddies from the airport. I had the luggage in the trunk already and we were off. When we got to the airport, I broke the news that we were on our way to a nice vacation. He was so thrilled!

There’s nothing I love more than to see the smile on my husband’s face. By planning this trip, not only was I able to give us a little reprieve from parenting and everyday life, but I was able to show my husband just how much he means to me. Whether you plan a day trip, weekend getaway, or a long excursion to a far off destination, sometimes a change of scenery can do wonders for your marriage. Hopefully my advice will help you pull off the ultimate surprise vacation for the one you love the most.