Woman Hosts ‘Finally Divorced’ Party, Complete with Black Dress and Veil (Exclusive)

Instead of mourning her marriage, a woman is celebrating her divorce.

Ava Gonzalez, 20, got engaged to her ex-husband, 20, three months after they started dating in college two years ago. But their relationship ended as quickly as it began. Now with her marriage in the past, Gonzalez chose to celebrate her new chapter by hosting a "finally divorced" party on Dec. 6, 2024 at her friend's apartment in Provo, Utah.

"I wanted to celebrate becoming a single woman because going from basically a SAHM (stay-at-home mother) to a working woman is no easy task," Gonzalez tells PEOPLE.

Sulking over the split wasn't her style. Instead, she remembered advice from her counselor: "This will not define you. You are not ruined or damaged. Your life will be okay again."

"The best revenge is a life well lived," Gonzalez adds.

First, Gonzalez created fun invitations that read "Ava Is FREE," inviting about 20 guests to celebrate her "first night of freedom." Attendees were encouraged to "wear black in honor of the death to her Mrs."

For her part, Gonzalez ordered a pink sash from Amazon and added iron-on letters that spelled out "ex wife." She wore the sash over a low-cut black mini dress from White Fox Boutique, which she paired with her courthouse and reception wedding shoes. For a final touch, she added a black veil.

"Shockingly there are not a lot of places that sell cute divorce party merch, so all the things were DIY. That also included the iconic DIORCED sign," Gonzalez says, noting that her "Finally Divorced" sign hilariously accidentally read "Finally Diorced" for most of the party.

Guests had fun passing around a digital camera before slicing into a chocolate cake that read "Got that Fire D(ivorce)" and "Boy Bye."

"This party made me feel liberated," Gonzalez says. "I will say I was worried about posting photos, about people being right that my marriage wouldn't last, but all those worries went away when I realized other people's opinions should not define my happiness."

Related: Decade-Long Couple Splits After Man Tells Girlfriend to Buy Her Own Engagement Ring: 'Heartbreaking' (Exclusive)

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She adds that her divorce party was healing for her.

"I believe all walks of a woman's life should be celebrated, we should have parties for all major life changes, good and bad," she says.

She encourages other people going through a divorce to go to a rage room to release their anger and turn to friends for support.

"Don't let your partner define your life," she says. "If you are in the thick of it right now, it does get better."

Gonzalez is grateful for her "great community" for supporting her through the tough times.

Read the original article on People