101 couples untie the knot

More than 100 Wanganui couples found their luck was out in the search for long-lasting love last year.

Latest figures from Stats NZ showed of the 8785 divorces registered nationwide during 2012, 101 occurred in Wanganui - an 11 per cent jump on last year's divorce figures.

Those most likely to call it quits had been married between five and nine years - with nearly 25 per cent of last year's divorces in that time span.

Romance sceptics may point to theories about "itchy feet". But couples who've made it successfully over the decade bump know disagreements and relationship woes are all part and parcel of finding lasting true love.

While some relationships are turning sour, others are blossoming.

Wanganui celebrant Carol Watt said many couples she had married had been together for about 10 years.

They may also have children and their own home, she said.

"They know each other pretty well, and that seems to be the trend these days." Relationship expert and psychotherapist Chris Wood says all relationships encounter challenges.

"There's a big myth in our culture that if you're struggling in your relationship you're with the wrong person.

"Relationships have particular stages and people don't really understand." Everyone felt great at the beginning "honeymoon stage", she said.

"Some of that is because we've got a wonderful cocktail of chemicals in our brain that makes us feel very good. The job of those cocktails is actually to bond us together with somebody."

Problems usually surfaced when couples moved on from this initial stage.

Serial daters were also more likely to be less satisfied in their relationships.

"What I've heard is that the more relationships you have, the shorter [the honeymoon period] lasts," Ms Wood said.

Nationally, about 20,500 couples tied the knot last year, of whom 156 were in Wanganui - an increase of 12 per cent on 2011 local marriages. Those keen to take another chance made up about 31 per cent of last year's marriages - with 6307 couples registering a "remarriage".

Ms Wood said relationships needed constant attention.

Often "you get into an adult relationship and you think about what it should be giving to us, instead of thinking, 'What do I need to do to make this relationship work well'."

Being married may have kept a couple committed to one another - but it wasn't a silver bullet, she warned. APNZ

Marriage and divorce, 2012:

156 couples tied the knot in Wanganui last year, down from 187 in 2008.

101 couples registered for divorce at Wanganui District Court, down from 116 five years ago.

20,521 marriages nationally, compared with 21,948 in 2008.

8785 divorces took place, down from 9713 five years ago.

13.67 years - the median duration of marriage ending in divorce.

3822 divorces involved children.

Source: Statistics New Zealand