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Divorce is a huge, life-altering event. When a marriage doesn’t work out, it is a genuine tragedy. Everyone copes with grief in different ways, and some people use gallows humor as a coping mechanism. Because of this, there has been a recent trend towards “Divorce parties”. Yes, you heard me right!
What in The World is a Divorce Party – And Why Would You Ever Throw One?!
A divorce party is a tongue-in-cheek celebration thrown as a morale booster for someone going through a divorce. While this concept will seem unpalatable to many, it’s important to remember that many people use this type of dark humor as a way to deal with a devastating situation. The rise of Pinterest has led to a boom in parties for all situations, including divorce. There have also been a number of celebrity divorce parties: Shanna Moakler had a divorce party after breaking up with Travis Barker, while Jack White and Karen Elson threw a joint divorce celebration.
How to Throw a Divorce Party
So how exactly does one throw a divorce party? I have actually thrown two different divorce parties for people in my life. The first one arose because a friend had joked about the above-mentioned celebrity divorce parties, so I suggested having one for real, since we both share the same twisted sense of humor. The second one happened later that year, when someone else in my life heard about the divorce party I threw and thought it was hilarious – so I offered to do one for her, too! The most important thing to keep in mind is that this would not be appropriate to suggest to anyone other than a divorcing friend who has already joked about throwing a party; this is most certainly a “Know your audience” situation.
So bearing all that in mind: Let’s say your BFF loves the idea. Here’s how to throw an awesome divorce celebration:
Plan a Menu as Refreshing as Your New Start
Divorce Cake
Divorce cake
Baking a cake is a customary way to mark a special occasion, so why not make a divorce cake? I ended up making a “Cake” out of cinnamon rolls: I had a package of cinnamon roll mix in the pantry, so I baked the rolls according to the directions and allowed them to cool. I then took the included icing mix and stirred in red food coloring, so what when I drizzled it over the rolls, it would look like “Blood”. I then stacked the rolls on top of each other to make a “Cake”, and used a tube of pre-made black icing to write “Happy Divorce!” on one of the rolls.
I did a playful twist on wedding cake toppers by taking a couple of action figures and using them as divorce cake toppers! The male action figure is Neo in the final part of the Matrix trilogy; this action figure came with detachable heads to represent Neo’s journey in the film, so I posed the figure to make it look like he had “Lost his head” thanks to this silly sci-fi action figure sword.*
Divorce Party Drinks
When I ran across this line of “Mad Housewife” wine, I knew it was a perfect drink to serve at a divorce party! Speaking of drinks, that brings us to…
Get Crafty: DIY Divorce Party Ideas
Ex-Husband Blood, AKA How to Make Custom Labels For Wine Bottles
One fun craft that I created for a divorce party was this bottle of “Ex-husband blood”.* To create this, I took a bottle of red, hot-sauce-flavored vodka and made my own label for it, which I am also sharing as a free printable, because that’s what friends are for:
Free divorce party printable – click here to download and print
Poison wine label – click to download and print
To create your bottle, simply print both image files above, cut them out, and use double-sided tape or glue to affix them to the bottle. The larger label goes around the center of the bottle, while the smaller “XXX POISON” label goes right under the cork. This makes a really funny craft – and when you propose a toast to drink the ex-husband’s “Blood”, be sure to tell everyone that these shots will be as bitter and unpleasant as the marriage itself!
Repurpose a Card
A quick and easy DIY that doesn’t require any crafting skills is to simply repurpose a card. I found this “Congratulations” card at the dollar store which took on a new and hilarious meaning when given in commemoration of the divorce party!
Save The, Errr, Date
Unlike a wedding, there are no hard and fast rules as to when to throw a divorce party. In one instance, I held the party over the weekend of July 4th and dubbed it “(Name’s) Independence Day”. In the other instance, the party ended up taking place on the same day that my friend’s divorce was finalized. She framed the divorce paperwork and displayed it on a table during the party! If the divorcing person is already working with an attorney, such as tampa divorce attorneys Quinn & Lynch, he or she can ask them for a timeline – some divorces can drag on, in which case your friend may need moral support during the long ordeal; or if the marriage will be dissolved quickly, planning the party to take place on the date that the marriage will be final can be a welcome distraction.
So what do you think about divorce parties: Funny or tasteless?
*This is of course meant as a joke. Please, do not chase your ex-husband with a toy sword or attempt to drink his blood, not matter how nasty your divorce may get!
