You're Invited to Our Divorce

The Wall Street Journal reported a few years ago that formal divorce ceremonies are a new trend. Surrounded by family and friends, couples exchange vows, pledging to honor and respect one another after their marriage is over. The couple's children might be present to collect the rings after they're re-exchanged.

There are even some churches that have instituted divorce services.

Is this a good spiritual approach to breaking marriage ties, or just an out-there option? In our Vote & Vent survey, about 63 percent of ThirdAgers weren't open to such a celebration.

Dianne writes, "Most couples I know are too antagonistic and too emotionally fragile to go through a formal ceremony to acknowledge their marriage is ending, much less a ceremony where they exchange more 'vows.'"

An anonymous ThirdAger adds, "The problem is that most marriages break up because someone didn't honor their wedding vows. So why should anyone honor any vows they had taken in a divorce service?"

Other cynics claim that Hallmark would be the first to benefit from this ceremony celebration -- followed by the reception halls, the caterers and so on. Is it merely a money-making scheme?