Divorce Parties: They’re Not For Everyone, But Chances Are You’ll Be Invited To A Divorce Party One Day!

You’ve probably been to engagement parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, anniversary parties, and wedding receptions before — all in support of happy couples.

Now there’s a new one to add into the mix: divorce parties.

A divorce party (also known as a divorce ceremony) is a way to have a ceremony that celebrates the end of a marriage or civil union. Types of divorce parties vary greatly, and can involve either one or both members of the separating couple. Divorce parties have been called the final frontier in the wedding industry complex, and often involve a toast that emphasizes the couple beginning new chapters in their lives. Source

Yep, the odds are pretty good that you will be invited to a divorce party one day.

Even Oprah offers tips for throwing a divorce party!

And if you’re thinking divorce parties are just another name for spouse-bashing parties, think again. Many divorced couples are having divorce ceremonies where they both attend with their friends and family in order to celebrate their former lives together.

Here are some fun (?) facts about divorce parties…

 

What You Might Not Realize About Divorce Parties

• Half of all marriages end in divorce, and people have become just about as comfortable with divorce as they are with marriage these days. In fact, divorce has almost become a right of passage in modern society.
• Divorce parties can actually be good if you have children — because your children can see that although mom and dad don’t love each other romantically any longer, they can still get along and it doesn’t mean that they don’t love their children.
• You know how you have a wedding planner to coordinate the details of your wedding? There are also divorce party planners to coordinate the details of elaborate divorce parties.
• There are even divorce registries to help the divorcing couple alleviate some of the financial burden associated with divorce — including having to buy new stuff.
• For couples who want to have their divorce party in a vacation setting, there are luxurious hotel and resort divorce packages.
• A divorce party can be cathartic in that it helps you (1) let go of the pain and upset that you may have been feeling before and after the divorce and (2) begin planning for your future as a single person.
• Having a divorce party with your former partner is one way to show your friends & family that they can still care about both of you without feeling that they are betraying the other person. This can be a big deal — because it’s easy for someone who has just divorced to become isolated and for former family and mutual friends to be uncomfortable and concerned about how to remain friends with both of you.
• In many ways, a divorce party can be very similar to an engagement party or even wedding reception. There can be a theme, a gift registry, even cake and cocktails. Of course these things may look a bit different — because a divorce ceremony is a way to gather friends and family around and say, ‘I’m moving on. Please support me.’
• A divorce party is a rebirth of sorts — a way to celebrate starting over and facilitate the moving on process. As Christine Gallagher, owner of a Los Angeles events company called The Divorce Party Planner, explains: “Divorce is part of life, and yet it’s the only major event for which we have no ritual. A celebration communicates that divorce is OK — life-affirming, even.”
• Generally speaking, women throw divorce parties more than men. But that’s not always the case. When men get together in celebration of a divorce, it tends to focus around another activity: basketball, golf, pool, concerts, heading to the bar… or camping.

Clearly, there are advantages and disadvantages to having a divorce party. In some cases, a divorce party can be cathartic. In other cases, the pain can be too fresh to consider celebrating. Whatever the reason for having one, I suspect divorce parties are here to stay.

As summarized by Laura Dave, author of The Divorce Party, in the video below: “A compassionate divorce party can be a great way for two people to get together at the end of their marriage to celebrate everything that came before, as opposed to feeling acrimonious that it’s all over.”

 

More About Divorce Parties

• Divorce: You Don’t Have To Cry About It… Have A Party!
• Many Throw Parties To Toast Divorce
• Divorce Party Wisdom: 5 Ways To Throw A Successful Divorce Party
• There Ain’t No Party Like A Divorce Party: Here’s Proof!
• Divorce Party Ideas For Baby Boomer Women
• Pinterest Divorce Party Ideas