One honest note that applies everywhere. If the recipient asks about ingredients or dietary detail, point them to the published product information rather than answering yourself.

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.

Personalisation is worth thinking about early. A printed message, a monogram or the wedding date turns a nice box into a keepsake. Ask what the personalisation actually involves before you commit, since some options print onto the sleeve and others onto a card insert, and the two photograph very differently across a long table.

Bulk ordering rewards planning. Decide your total headcount early, split it between client hampers and staff share bags, and place the order with room to spare before your deadline. Volume orders and any personalisation both need lead time, and Lily O'Brien's Ireland the final quarter of the year is the busiest window by some distance, so the earlier you confirm numbers the better.

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, especially a personalised one, quietly addresses the parents and the wider family at a point when a small kindness lands well.

Presentation is worth a moment. A neutral, tidy box works across relationships, from a close friend to a professional contact you would rather not overstep with. It also spares you the guesswork of taste and colour that trips up more decorative gifts.