UK: 45-year-old woman throws divorce party for herself after ending 17-year-old marriage

A 45-year-old woman hosted a party to celebrate her divorce and being "finally" free after her 17-year marriage came to an end. Sonia Gupta, 45, marked the end of a three-year divorce procedure by throwing a colourful themed party with her family and friends. She wore a bright dress with a “finally divorced” sash, and she encouraged her guests to dress up in their most colourful and flamboyant attire.

The accounts manager wanted the party to reflect her personality, which she describes as bright and outgoing, so it was named "It's a Sonia thing." Sonia tells how her marriage muted her effervescent nature and how she realised they weren't a good match from the start.

“I selected the theme to be colourful, vibrant, and lots of unicorns because I am a really bright, colourful person. The theme was magic to me because, after the previous ten years, I believe I deserved a little bit of magic,” she explained.

Gupta married in 2003 as part of an arranged marriage in India, but after a few years of attempting to make things work, she quickly realised she wasn't happy.

“We got married in India, then moved over to the UK. I became lost in the midst of my marriage and its cultural components, and I ended up being quite miserable for years," Sonia said about her marriage.

“I just wanted to be myself again; before my marriage, I was a very active and outgoing person, and after I got married, everything went to hell. When I told my family I wanted out, there was an uproar and no support for me or my mental health, but I had my friends and my two pillars of strength, Mikhal and Shay, who were there to help me on my path. I also received assistance from the Asian single parent network following my divorce,” she added.

The divorce party was a blast, complete with a bouncy castle for all, pink and purple décor, a rainbow and unicorn theme, and a handmade cake from Tees Little Cake Boutique.

“The divorce party was to demonstrate my friends and family that I'd made it through, especially my parents, who eventually backed my decision. I wanted to express my gratitude to them all for their unwavering support over the last ten years. The divorce process began in 2018, but it took three years to complete. The procedure was completed and my marriage was officially over after many exhausting discussions, five court appearances, three trials, and numerous conflicts. It appears that people believe there is no life after divorce, that your life is over,” she explained.

(Image: Unsplash)