It's been estimated that almost half (42%) of marriages in the UK have ended in a divorce, according to the latest data on divorce rates released from the Census. 

However, it's not all doom and gloom as it sounds, as the rise in divorces means the rise in divorce parties. Wedding and engagement ring specialists at Jessica Flinn have researched the recent rise in this trend. 

Over the past week, search trends for divorce rings have risen by 139%, according to Google Trends data. With almost 400k views for #divorcerings on TikTok, it’s looking like more people than ever are celebrating their new beginnings.

In fact, wedding and engagement ring specialists at Jessica Flinn have noticed a recent increase in the number of requests they have seen for divorce rings. They have seen a 300% interest in remodel requests, where divorce rings fall. 

Jessica Flinn-Allen, CEO and founder at Jessica Flinn, said, “We have seen a steady rise over the past 2 years. Recently, we have seen more customers come into our store and request rings following a divorce.

"I feel like more people than ever before are now moving away from social stereotypes regarding life timelines such as career, buying a house, getting married, and having children. Instead, we see customers coming in with so many stories to tell, from having children first and then deciding to tie the knot to women coming in wanting a bespoke design to celebrate their divorce. 

“Divorce is normally something that is frowned upon and tends to have negative connotations, which is why we love it when customers come in to celebrate themselves because they are doing what’s right for them.”

Jessica Flinn spoke with Maja Proescholdt, 30, originally from Minneapolis (USA) but now living in York, who held her own divorce party where she invited friends, ate a divorce cake, and decorated her home with banners, all while glammed up in a sash and tiara.

Maja was with her ex-partner for 6 and a half years and married for 4.5 years when they split in 2020. Maja said “I decided to have a divorce party for myself where I invited all my close friends (I'd have invited family too if they weren't all in the US). 

“The party was at my house for cake, before going out for drinks and dancing in town. Hearing the DJ call out "and let's have it for Maja's Divorce Party" while I was on the revolving dance floor at Popworld was a top life moment!! 

“My cake was custom-made by a local bakery, who created the divorce cake of my dreams! They sorted all of the details exactly how I wanted, particularly the "Thank U Next" writing on the cake. 

“For my party decorations, I had a banner that said "Finally Divorced" and one that said "Boy Bye". I also had a “Finally Divorced” sash and Divorced crown to complete my outfit! 

“I created a Divorce Party playlist for music at the party, featuring so many great songs (a lot of Beyonce!). One of my friends also gave me an "I'm finally a divorcée" gift basket which included a card that said "congrats on getting divorced” and I loved it!”

Jessica Flinn continued and asked Maja why she wanted a divorce party, she said “There were a lot of reasons, but mainly to celebrate my freedom and me. 

“The legal process of getting divorced is complicated and takes a long time. I did this myself, without a lawyer and with barely any assistance from my ex, which was an insane amount of administrative work on my part. In hindsight, if I'd known just how difficult it would be, I'd have just paid for a lawyer to sort it! Although we split in October 2020, my divorce wasn't finalised until the end of March 2022. 

“The process dragged on for so long, and towards the end, I often worried that I'd never actually get divorced and never be free from my ex. This was the last thing tying me to him, and the last bit of power he had over me. So when the divorce was finalised, I definitely wanted to celebrate!

“At that point, my sadness and grief from the loss of the relationship had faded with time, and my overwhelming feeling of getting divorced was one of relief and empowerment. It felt amazing to get together with my friends and celebrate being divorced, being single, and being free.”

“I personally have very strong feelings about celebrating "unconventional" life choices that are just as meaningful as the traditional life events society tends to deem worthy of a party. I definitely feel like conventional life events, which nearly all revolve around romantic relationships/children (engagements, weddings, pregnancy/child's birthdays) – is what the majority of parties and celebrations revolve around. If you don't tick those boxes, do you just never get to celebrate yourself? 

“As someone who had a very unconventional relationship (not just as an international couple/long-distance for several years, but also we eloped and invited no one to our wedding 

we didn't wear rings, I didn't change my name, etc), and an unconventional lifestyle of moving/living abroad prioritising travelling, I feel really strongly that we should celebrate all the meaningful life events in our lives. 

“Any achievement or accomplishment is worth being celebrated! I'm very proud of being divorced – to me, it shows my strength and resilience, and the fact that I won't settle for being treated as less than I deserve. And I absolutely think that it should be celebrated, just as much as a marriage or any other "traditional" life event should be celebrated!”