There are quite a few restuarants that offer afternoon tea, but not everyone offers silver service - so if you want a gift that reflects the silver wedding anniversary, the five star hotels are usually the best places to look.

The Windsor Hotel Melbourne has a great reputation as one of the best places to go for high tea in Australia. You can buy a gift certificate online... or just ring up and book. It's $20 per person cheaper to go during weekdays ($45), which represents quite a good saving for 2 or more people.

In Sydney, The Tea Room serves silver service morning and afternoon tea in a grand room on the top level of the Queen Victoria Building above the bustle of all those exclusive shops.

You can buy their exquisitely packaged gift cards online - the Silver Wedding anniversary couple will feel like royalty when they receive their gift voucher.

Also in Sydney, the Observatory Hotel does a stylish silver service High tea. You can buy a gift certificate online, but the best aspect of the Observatory is the range of high tea afternoons. Why not buy a gift voucher for a Mystic Afternoon Tea.  On weekends it's $89 per head or $99 with a glass  of French Champagne.

The Hyatt in Perth offers a buffet-style High Tea at around $30 a head, so it's a more affordable present that it's eastern counterpart.

The Perth Mint also serves high tea... and afterwards you can take the couple into the gift shop to buy a silver coin as an extra present. Silver coin prices start at around $82.

For chocolate lovers in Brisbane, you can't go past the Chocolate High Tea at the Stamford Plaza. It's described as offering a 'chocolate infused buffet version of traditional high tea'. Mmmmmm. If you live outside Brisbane, you can organise a tailored gift certificate for the anniversary couple to use.

Just a quick selection of available options.... but they all offer elegant and unusual gift options for couples celebrating their silver wedding anniversary.

Firstly is a Gold Pass cinema ticket from Greater Union Cinemas. You can buy gift vouchers for these ultra luxurious cinemas in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.  The Golden Anniversary couple can share a bottle of champange, have a yummy dinner and watch their favourite movie all at the same time.  A great present for all occasions, not just a 50th wedding anniversary.

Then there's golden themed restaurants. As their anniversary gift, why not shout the happy couple a meal in a restaurant with the word 'golden' in it?

In Sydney, there's the Golden Harbour Restaurant which serves Chinese food. In Brisbane, there's the Golden Ox, which does modern Australian dishes.  If the couple live in Perth and prefer spicy food, a dinner at the Thai Gold Plate would be a great gift. If Indian food is a favourite, Bismi's Gold an Fork in Melbourne (yes that's the right spelling!) is a perfect gift option. In Hobart, you could go to Golden Harbour Chinese. Lots of tasty gift ideas for the Golden Anniversary couple.

Or how about taking a great photo of the couple and placing it in a gold leaf frame - a gift that's relevant, practical and beautiful.

Gold leaf plates and vases are also an gift option. Places such as Table Culture - based in Perth although they deliver gifts throughout Australia - or David Jones and Myer often have gold leaf chinaware.  Or if you can't find a gift that's gold enough, or within your budget, head down to your local antique dealer.  Most have a large selction of gold leaf AND pure gold gifts.

Whichever gift you decide to buy the couple, they'll be delighted you've taken the time to choose such a creative present for their special occasion.

In the UK for example, the 7th wedding anniversary is called the Copper Anniversary and the 10th anniversary is called the Aluminium Anniversary.

In the US, these anniversaries are sometimes celebrated with gifts made of wool or tin respectively. It might be fairly easy to find a gift made of wool, but a present made of tin might be a bit trickier! The 7th and 10th anniversaries are widely celebrated in the UK, along with the much later 25th (Silver) and 50th (Golden).

If you live in a Commonwealth country, you can receive a message from the Queen for the 60th, 65th and 70th wedding anniversaries.  It's a gift money can't buy.  You simply apply to Buckingham Palace in the UK or the Governor-General's office in other commonwealth countries.

In Australia, you can receive a a message from the Governor General for the Golden Anniversary - what a great gift idea and what a surprise the happy couple will get when they read out their present.

If you're looking for some gift inspiration for American friends or family who are celebrating their Golden Anniversary, why not organise a congratulatory message from the White House, signed by the President.

Or for the more religious,  Roman Catholics may apply for Papal blessings through their local diocese for a Golden Anniversary.  Divine gift inspirations!

These gifts cost nothing, but could turn out to be the highlight of a 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration.

Is it a unique gift? Probably not, but it will be appreciated I'm sure.

Why should a couple's age have an impact on the type of gift you give for a silver wedding anniversary present? Personally I think it plays a huge part in deciding what to buy for someone. Would a young 40's something couple like silverware or would they prefer a weekend away? Of course as with all anniversary gifts, you don't have to buy the traditional (or even the modern anniversary list) suggestion. After all that is exactly what it is - a suggestion.

Bear in mind the couple may need other things. Given they've been married for 25 years - I'm sure there are some appliances and / or linens that may need an overhaul. So why not buy what they need or would like and wrap it in the appropriate colour.

Cheating? No. I'd call it practical, personally.

The question is of course, what do you buy? What would be the perfect gift?

The following wedding anniversary gift list comprises both the modern and the traditional gift suggestions.

Year	Traditional	Modern
1st	Paper	Clocks
2nd	Cotton	China
3rd	Leather	Crystal, Glass
4th	Linen, Silk	Appliances
5th	Wood	Silverware
6th	Iron	Wooden Objects
7th	Wool, Copper	Desk Sets
8th	Bronze	Linens, Lace
9th	Pottery, China	Leather Goods
10th	Tin, Aluminium	Diamond Jewellery
11th	Steel	Fashion Jewellery
12th	Silk	Pearls, Coloured Gems
13th	Lace	Textiles, Furs
14th	Ivory	Gold Jewellery
15th	Crystal	Watches
16th		Silver Holloware
17th		Furniture
18th		Porcelain
19th		Bronze
20th	China	Platinum
21st	Brass	Nickel
22nd		Copper
23rd		Silver Plate
24th		Musical Instruments
25th	Silver	Sterling Silver
30th	Pearl	Diamond
35th	Coral, Jade	Jade
40th	Ruby	Ruby
50th	Gold	Gold
55th	Emerald	Emerald
60th	Diamond	Diamond
70th		Platinum

Now I don't know about you, but there are some items on the modern gift anniversary list I would NEVER have thought about.