The nation's love affair with civil unions is over.
Since bursting on to the scene in 2005, civil unions have failed to bring their expected impact as couples opt for the tradition of marriage or no legal binding at all.
While Statistics New Zealand figures show civil union numbers remained steady between 2005 and 2008, they were insignificant compared with the number of marriages.
Nationally, in 2005, there were 249 civil unions, compared with 20,470 marriages.
In 2008, there were 327 civil unions, compared with 21,948 marriages.
Those figures consisted of 62 civil unions in the South Island in 2005 and 187 in the North Island.
In 2008, there were 77 civil unions in the South Island and 250 in the North Island.
Marriages in the South Island in 2005 came to 4874 and 5243 in 2008.
In the North Island, there were 15,596 in 2005 and 16,705 in 2008.
Dunedin celebrant Peter Collett, who had been in the business for 30 years, described civil unions as a "storm in a tea cup".
"The civil union thing hasn't taken off at all."
Due to publicity about it, numbers choosing civil unions were expected to be high.
However, those who performed the ceremony, civil union celebrants, found little business and many had not reregistered for their licence, he said.
Celebrant Philippa Jamieson agreed and said interest in civil unions was high when they first became available, but had dropped off since.
Those who had wanted to have one did at the time and now most of her work was in marriages.
Celebrant Sandra Paul said civil unions had "been really slow" between male and female couples because "basically, it's marriage".
However, she had "done quite a few" civil unions for same-sex couples.
