Divorce parties may not have caught on entirely in Singapore, but they have "gone mass market" in the US. One party planner there said that her divorce party business has tripled since 2003.

In a recent report on Fox News, party planner Glynda Rhodes, who has a website called Divorce Party Planner, said: "There are celebrations for everything. Why not celebrate 'I made it through, I survived'?".

She has planned divorce parties, which start at US$1,000 (S$1,300) and can go up to US$5,000.

In Japan, couples also hold their own version of a divorce party - by dressing up in their wedding gowns and using a hammer to smash their wedding rings.

Three out of five party planners here told The New Paper that most of their clients are working women in their 30s.

Happy Moments business manager Sally Woon said the parties held here are tamer than those in the US. Packages start from $1,000 for a party of four, which includes a selection of hors d'oeuvre and a bottle of wine.

Hiring strippers or models to role-play for the clients are extravagant extras that can push up the cost. Psychologist Richard Lim said such parties can be cathartic for the newly divorced.

"It allows for closure and can help them turn the corner. They are given the chance to break down freely in the presence of their loved ones, like family and friends," he said.

"It's like a cleansing ritual of comfort and company, and you know life starts in a new phase after that."