Nick Lachey has thanked his wife Vanessa for 12 "incredible" years together.

The 49-year-old star has taken to social media to celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary, praising Vanessa for working through the "tough times".

Alongside photos from their wedding day, Nick - who has Camden, ten, Brooklyn, eight, and Phoenix, six, with his wife - wrote on Instagram: "Vanessa, not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for your love, your patience, your understanding, your fight and determination, your support, and your willingness to always work through the tough times. While we don’t always have it all figured out, nor claim to, we know that together we can find our way.

"I love you baby!! Thanks for twelve incredible, exciting, unpredictably wonderful years together. Here’s to many, many more…… (sic)"

Vanessa also took to social media to upload a video that featured an ageing filter and the song 'I Wanna Grow Old With You'.

She captioned the post: "17 years together, 12 married! I LOVE growing old with you! Happy Anniversary, Baby! [heart emojis] (sic)"

Last year, Vanessa claimed that good communication is key to a happy marriage.

The actress believes that being open and honest with each other has been the backbone of their relationship.

She told 'Entertainment Tonight': "You need to communicate. You need to be responsible for your actions, you can't just point a finger.

"But also, I think, on the flip side, you need to applaud that person when they do something beautiful and right."

The celebrity duo regularly attend therapy sessions, as a couple and as individuals, and Vanessa recalled one particular piece of advice that she received from her therapist.

She shared: "[Our therapist] talks about making love deposits. And you can't just take. You can't just withdraw. You gotta make a deposit."