They’re entitled to their opinion, but I think the process is healthy. Some people send me hate mail, saying it is in bad taste or hurts the sanctity of marriage. Until recently, there was nothing for divorce. One client wanted a funeral theme and buried her ring another had never been on a rollercoaster, so that was a great way for her to symbolise letting go.Īll of our big life transitions – birth, marriage, death – have a ceremony or ritual. She had been humiliated, but taking control and allowing herself to laugh again helped restore her self-respect. The woman was devastated to find her husband had been having an affair when he said he was teeing off, so the guests came in golf gear we hired an instructor, swung at balls with the husband’s name on them and roasted food on golf club spits. To see something that was once so lovely shrivel up really taps into something primitive. Many burn a veil or wedding photo on a bonfire. At the end, my client threw her wedding ring into the ocean. The most expensive was a luxury boat for 60 people, down the coast to Mexico. It’s important to keep some ritual and meaning. There are often tears and always something symbolic. Some have a big blowout, others are more emotional. That was 14 years ago and I’ve done about 200 parties since. It began slowly but I built a stable of suppliers and calls started coming. I’m originally from Blackpool but I moved here when I was 19. Even in southern California where there is a party for everything, no one was doing this, so I started my business as a divorce party planner. People started asking who could plan an event for them. I set to work on The Divorce Party Handbook, with chapters on themes, planning and etiquette (like, never invite children and don’t abandon your friend afterwards). The party was so successful at getting her out of a funk that I started thinking that having an event after a divorce or breakup could be hugely beneficial in helping other people to get past their pain.