Toast to unwedded bliss
Party trend celebrates your divorce
ONCE upon a time, the word “divorce” was only uttered in a whisper.
Now Gold Coasters are throwing parties to celebrate the end of their marriage.
Businesses across the city are capitalising on this new trend by advertising for “divorce parties”.
The celebrations are supposed to help locals mark the end of a long, difficult process of emotional disentanglement.
Hope Islander resident Danielle Hill knows first-hand that sometimes an unforgettable party can be just what the doctor ordered.
“I got separated in March,” said the 23-year-old who threw a “break-up sex-toy” party a few weeks ago.
“About 15 people came ... it was good, a lot of fun.
“We had wine, chatted and looked at lingerie.
“If you’ve just separated from someone, you don’t want to go out into clubs and get hit on by men.
“You just want to spend time with your friends, have a few drinks and not have to venture out into all of that.”
Teneille Lake from Sassy Minx Boutique organised Ms Hill’s party and said divorce parties were emerging as a way to mark this big life-change.
She organises sex-toy and lingerie parties for women who want to bring laughter and lightness back into their life. “They’ve only really come out in the past year,” Ms Lake said.
“It seemed a little bit more like a sad experience to get divorced before ... now it’s more of a celebration.”
Ms Lake has hosted 11 divorce parties on the Gold Coast in the past year. She expects the number to grow due to the high rate of divorces on the Gold Coast.
The 2011 census showed that Labrador was the worst suburb with 2053 out of 125,000 married couples call- ing it quits. But it’s not just the women letting their hair down.
Poker Deluxe director Paul Walvish said they had recently started advertising for divorce parties on the Gold Coast for men.
“It’s a very similar package to the buck’s nights,” he said.
“It’s about getting together with your mates and having a bit of fun with ladies around to look at.”
Advertised packages can include professional dealers and topless waitresses.
For those who want a “tamer” option, Calmer Therapies in Surfers Paradise offers full pampers and champagne for new divorcees.
“Divorce parties are getting more popular, that’s why we started advertising for them,” owner Charlotte Heanen said.
“Even if it’s not a whole party, you’ll get a couple of girls come in for a pamper.”