"I've always celebrated big, and, to me, this is a big milestone," said Toni Harding
A recent divorcee turned heartache into what ended up becoming the "best night" of her life.
Toni Harding got married in 2014, but she and her now-ex-husband decided to go their separate ways after nine years of marriage in 2023, Kennedy News and Media reported. The reason for the split was that the pair fell out of love.
When Harding, 42, found out her divorce had been finalized in December 2025, she knew she wanted to mark the occasion in some way, and a month later, she hosted a "divorce party" for herself to "close that chapter" in her life.
Ninety of Harding's family and friends showed up and helped her celebrate at the bash, which included catering and a selfie booth, as well as a DJ that cost more than $2,600.
The party also featured a light-up "divorced" sign, plus desserts that read, "The end of an error," "I will survive" and "plenty more in the sea," among other cheeky phrases.
Never miss a story -- sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
According to Harding, a mom of two who works as an HR business partner, her divorce was "really long" and "complex."
"I didn't feel any emotions when the divorce papers came through because it had been so long," she said.
Harding explained that she held the party for herself, but also to thank those who supported her amid her divorce -- and to introduce her new partner. "I wanted to celebrate that I had now moved on," she said.
"I've always celebrated big, and, to me, this is a big milestone. It's been draining for a lot of people, [and] through the support and love of my family and friends, they rebuilt me as a person. They've been through this as much as I've been through it," Harding added.
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
Looking back at her time with her ex-husband, Harding said, "At first, the relationship was very lovely and normal. We were together for five years."
After they got married, however, the woman explained, "There was a huge shift in terms of dynamics in the relationship."
"We had another child, and that was my attempt to try and fix everything, but that didn't work," she continued,
Harding added of herself and her ex, "We just drifted apart, I fell out of love with him. I didn't want to apportion any blame, I told him it wasn't working, and I didn't want to be with him anymore."
Harding believes her divorce party helped provide the clarity she was waiting for in her life.
"It was better than my wedding. It was the best night of my life. It was filled with love, happiness and respect, and now I have that feeling of closure that I really needed," she said.
"The day after my divorce party, it sank in that I could finally start living my life," Harding addded. "This was about looking forward and celebrating love again, [that] you can come out the other side. I feel like I can actually close that chapter now."
Harding -- who said she has "a new zest for life that I never thought I'd get back" -- thinks others should also celebrate their divorces more often. "People label divorcees as someone who's failed. A lot of the time I felt like I failed, because it was my choice to leave, but I realised I hadn't failed, I did something that was right for me," she explained.
"Why not have a divorce party? You celebrate all the other happy moments in your life, and this was a really happy moment for me," added Harding. "I'd tell other people going through a divorce that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Don't live your whole life worrying what other people feel."
Read the original article on People