Wedding Anniversaries: 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th

After the first ten years of being married, you can assume that this couple has found the magic glue that holds a marriage together. Congratulations! But what about the anniversaries between then and the next milestone - the 15th year of marriage?

Wedding lore has it that the 11th wedding anniversary is marked with a gift of steel. Sherman tank, anyone? Most people nowadays will put aside the weaponry and give a gift of modern jewellery in this sleekest of metals. If a celebratory trip is in the offing, New York is the favoured destination - the city that never sleeps.

For the twelfth wedding anniversary, the designated gift idea is something in silk. A gorgeous silken dressing-gown or negligee seems appropriate, or some sumptuous silky bedsheets to keep those hearts a-fluttering! Aptly enough, a trip to the exotic land of Japan is suggested for number 12.

Back to tradition with lucky thirteen. The gift for this thirteenth wedding anniversary is lace, which seems a little Victorian for modern lovers - unless you need a pair of curtains or a new veil! The modern trend is to give a textile gift, which could cover anything from a cosy mohair throw for the sofa to a set of bedlinen in Egyptian cotton. Travel trends indicate a trip to France, land of love, to celebrate this impressive milestone.

Come the fourteenth wedding anniversary,  the traditional gift is ivory. Definitely a no-no in these days of conservation - hands off our elephants! More recent thinking suggests a gift of gold, much more welcome than a tusk and so much easier to source! But as a link to the big-game forays of the past, book your air tickets for an African safari this year.

The big fifteen calls for a gift of crystal. So you don't like cut glass? Modern glassware is varied and beautiful, and doesn't have to look like your parents chose it! And to carry on the theme of clear, crystalline crispness, get your skis on for a visit to Switzerland.

But if you have yet to step onto the path to these heady milestones, why not click here to see our range of wedding accessories, shoes and bridesmaids dresses so that you can begin to lay the foundations of a good marriage in style.

And for more useful tips and ideas, click to read our wedding information .