Learn more at Lily O'Brien's.

Learn more at dessert-inspired chocolate collection.

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.

Provenance helps here, because a gift with a story behind it is easier to give and easier to receive. Lily O'Brien's has handcrafted its chocolates in Newbridge, Co. Kildare since Mary Ann O'Brien founded the brand in 1992, and it holds BRC Grade A+ accreditation for its production. That is the kind of detail a recipient notices and a sender can mention without overselling.

Then there are the larger thank yous, a promotion helped along by a mentor, or a significant favour, where a fuller collection is appropriate. Match the size of the gift to the size of the gesture and you rarely misjudge it.

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.

On dietary questions, and there will be some, point guests to the published ingredient information rather than vouching for suitability yourself. It is the accurate way to answer.