Merry Divorcées Plan Rites for Deceased Marriages

An Atlanta divorce lawyer has a little gift for her clients: a mock coffin to bury their wedding rings in when the divorce comes through. "Funerals" for failed marriages—or just big parties—are becoming popular with the newly single keen to bury the past and celebrate a new chapter in their lives, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.

The divorce rate has been dropping since the early '80s, but 40% to 50% of first marriages still fail. A divorce counselor said that for many people, it's important to mark the death of love with some kind of ceremony. "There's a legal closure to the marriage," she said."It takes a while for our hearts and souls to catch up. Rituals like these can be very powerful." (More marriage stories.)