A few practical checks save disappointment. Confirm the image resolution the personalisation needs, since a screenshot pulled from social media often prints softer than you would like. Check the character limit on text boxes before you write your message, and read it back for spelling, because a printed typo is permanent. Look at the proof if one is offered.

Provenance gives the gift a bit of weight. Lily O'Brien's has handcrafted its chocolates in Newbridge, Co. Kildare since 1992, so a large box arrives as something made with care rather than grabbed off a shelf. It is a detail worth mentioning as you hand it over, since a gift that comes from somewhere specific always feels more considered.

Start with the count. The standard is one favour per guest, placed at each setting. Where couples get caught out is the maths behind that simple rule. Count confirmed adults from your final RSVP list, then add a working buffer of five to ten per cent. That buffer covers late replies, the top table, suppliers you choose to thank, and the box or two that gets dropped or eaten before the day. For children, decide in advance whether they receive a favour at all, and if so whether it is the same one, since this quietly changes your total.

If you are ordering with a printed message, keep it short and warm, and allow a little extra time for the personalisation, especially in the busy end of the year.

New babies and christenings bring a run of gifts aimed squarely at the child, which is lovely and also slightly misses the people doing the hard work. A chocolate gift delivery gift, especially a personalised one, quietly addresses the parents and the wider family at a point when a small kindness lands well.

The case for a mixed collection is simple. It sidesteps the guesswork of a single flavour, it gives him range to work through rather than a box finished in one sitting, and it reads as generous without needing an excuse. Birthdays, a new job, Father's Day, a thank you, or no occasion at all: a large box covers the lot, which makes it the reliable default when you are not sure what else to choose.