Divorce Party Ideas for a Marriage to Forget!
So the hen party was great, the wedding was a day to remember but the marriage may not have worked out? Divorce parties are becoming more and more popular; it’s just like having a fresh start.
It needn’t be time to jump from a bridge or think your life and future plans are all over, it is just time to think positive pull on a bright dress, dance in the kitchen and celebrate with all your family and friends that you will be ok and hold a divorce party!
The Modern Tradition
There are big companies in America that have capitalised on the ‘divorce party’ where they will host the party for the divorcing couple, so just like a wedding, they hold the divorce party for the unhappy couple wanting to move on. Personally if I had one of these when I got divorced (it’s ok I married again) it would have been, his friends and family on one side of the room and mine on the other with no-one talking, all being in the same room would have ended in various trips to the hospital with broken noses/legs or worse! If you want to hold a little get-together maybe just at home to talk, there doesn’t have to be lots of wine and lots of unkind words about your ex - just something to say I am here now… this is my new start. Just by using some bright pink balloons, pink bunting, and just one divorce party item like the 'Just Divorced' Poster will be enough. If you are extremely happy about finally receiving the decree nisi through the post, and have been waiting for the postman every day just like I did… then you need a bigger party something you will remember! Husband from Hell or Heaven party is what I would have chosen where everyone gets to dress if they are going to heaven or going to hell.
Sending out the Invitations
Deciding who to and who not to invite to your divorce party is probably the first hurdle. We certainly wouldn’t recommend inviting the in-laws to celebrate the end of your marriage, or any children for that matter. Joint friends are probably also a sore subject. But inviting your own close friends and family, the people that have been through the ups and the downs with you is certainly the most logical idea.
Divorce Party Invitations
As with any party, sending out invitations is the first step to organising a divorce party. You’ve chosen a list of people you’d like to attend; now it’s just a case of making sure they turn up. Of course, when you’re sending out your invites to a celebration of the end of your marriage, you might feel it’s a bit morbid or perhaps depressing, but the party doesn’t have to be. It’s a celebration of a new beginning, a breaking of bonds and perhaps it was an amicable separation that doesn’t warrant any feelings of guilt for being glad it’s all over. A cheerful, fun and even slightly comical divorce party invitation is a great way of letting all your guests know that it’s going to be a cheerful and enjoyable celebration, even if the subject is a bit unusual. Perhaps if you have a theme to your party you’ll be more likely to attract the attention and pique the interest of guests who might otherwise not be too sure about coming. A themed divorce party may well take the edge off what otherwise could be a quite depressing thing, but then that’s probably what the party is for anyway – to cheer you up and set you on a new course for love and freedom (or both). Carry through the theme to your party invites to make it clear to all your guests what’s happening at the party and what they’re expected to wear or bring with them.
Themed Parties and Fancy Dress
Adding a theme to your divorce party is a great way to turn a celebration into a humours event. People thoroughly enjoy an excuse to dress up and there’s all sorts of potential for weird and wonderful themes when it comes to holding your own divorce party. Of course, it’s a party, and it’s your party, so you can always pick a theme that you’re keen on. Perhaps you might like a 70’s Disco theme or a Gangsters and Molls shin-dig, but if you’re planning to celebrate the end of your marriage then you might like to base the party around that. For example, our range of divorce party fancy dress includes gloomy, but hilarious outfits for widow and corpse brides & grooms or witch and wizard costumes or even something to help you dress up like a spooky ghost or ghoul. These sorts of costumes are bound to lead to some hilarious antics and plenty of giggles – whether you’re staying in or going out on the town for your celebrations.
Divorce Party Gifts?
When considering holding or hosting a divorce party there’s often the question of gifts. Are they really appropriate? Or what should you buy someone who just ended a long-term relationship. Here are a few thoughts on what to buy for someone who’s celebrating their divorce:- Alcohol – probably a no brainer really. We wouldn’t say they’ll find any happiness at the bottom of a bottle, but a bit of tipple might dull the pain. Alternatively, if you can’t think of anything to buy them, a bottle of booze is always a welcome gift to bring to any party (except children’s parties – people frown on that sort of thing for some reason). Splash out on a lovely bottle of champagne to help get the celebrations off to a cheerful and flying start.
- Something practical – chances are that if your host has just split with their life partner, they’ve probably also split with their worldly possessions (or at least half of them). Just like at a wedding, it might be thoughtful to bring practical gifts that will help them along in the future. It might be best to check with them first to ensure this is appropriate though. If you’re holding the party (to celebrate your own divorce) you might even consider giving such a ‘gift list’ to your guests before they attend so if they mood takes them they can get you something practical to help you out.
- Something daft – we all need cheering up once in a while. If someone’s just got divorced, chances are they need cheering up more than normal. A humorous gift should do the trick. How about an inflatable bonking sheep for something to cuddle up to on the lonely nights that might come?
- Party Favours – if the host is struggling for ideas or needs a little helping hand, then bringing a bag full of party favours, games and decorations that’ll help get the party into full swing will be thoroughly welcome.
- Aggression Release – with the worry of divorce and what comes next, there’s probably a little tension in the household. You could splash out on a man-shaped punching bag to help your host get their aggression out. Perfect for the male audience, but perhaps something a little different might be appreciated by female divorcees – a voodoo doll for example!
Games for Divorce Celebrations
What’s a celebration without some good old fashioned fun? There’s no better way to lighten the mood and get everyone involved than with some good quality party games. Of course there’s probably plenty you can think of yourself like a variety of card games or even something as adventurous as drunken Twister. But for standard games that everyone will love and be happy to get involved in, something like ‘pin the tail on the ex’ or the ‘male rating game’ will have people in fits of giggles. Other ideas for divorce party games include:- Piñatas – what’s better than bashing something in order to get sweets out of it? Being blindfolded while doing it, that’s what! Just make sure there’s plenty of room for people to swing their bat/stick/hitting implement as you don’t want your furniture ruined or someone accidentally bonked on the noggin while the fun’s being had. Probably best to have such a game at the start of the party, rather than the middle or end – drunk people with bats is never a good combination.
- Burying Your Demons – this idea is less fun and more cleansing than the others, but it’s worked wonders for some. Get everyone around in a circle with paper and pens and get them to write what they hated about your ex on a piece of paper. You do the same. Then pop all the pieces of paper in a jar and bury them in the garden, set them on fire or tear them into pieces. Reading them all aloud first may make everyone laugh but the act of destroying or burying the anger is a good way of cleansing your soul for a fresh start!
- Entertainment - it’s a bit of a cliché, but strippers are a great way to help distract and entertain people. Girls love a good laugh at a male striptease and the boys are easily pleased by a bit of eye-candy. It’s probably a bit too seedy or cheesy for some, but it’s a simple idea for entertaining. For something different you might like to take your guests to a comedy club for the night or go to see a show.
Divorce Party Cake, Accessories & Decorations
Nothing really makes a party like a cake. Everybody loves a good cake – apart from maybe the gluten intolerant. So a good cake with ‘Happy Divorce’ or ‘Just Divorced’ or something similar may be more than welcome. Decorate your party with daft divorce themed buntings, coasters, balloons and silly straws to add a theme and make the celebration more enjoyable. If you’ve chosen a theme for your divorce party then you can buy decorations to match or if you have a favourite colour then we’ve got a range of different decorations that might perfectly suit your party. Tableware will prevent guests from breaking your precious china and help to add to the theme even more. Combine all these ideas and more to create the perfect divorce party – whether you’re holding it for yourself for hosting it on behalf of a friend or family member. If you’ve attended or held a divorce party of your own, why not let us know what worked for you or what you loved/loathed in the comments or on our Facebook page.
