Lead times catch people out more than anything else. Handmade stock and personalised print both need runway, so treat six to eight weeks out as the sensible window for a firm order, and longer if you are ordering in the run-up to Christmas when demand is heaviest. Confirm your numbers after the RSVP deadline, not before, and give yourself a buffer for the inevitable late reply.

For clients, a hamper reads as considered. It arrives as an occasion in itself, it shares around an office, and it carries a professional message without tipping into extravagance. Choose one with a neutral presentation rather than anything overtly seasonal, so it works whether it lands in March or in the week before Christmas. A restrained box travels better across industries and personalities than a novelty one.

Get the full picture at chocolate collection gift box.

Under the lid, the chocolates are the same handcrafted collections Lily O'Brien's has made in Newbridge, Co. Kildare since 1992, so personalising the outside does not mean compromising on what is inside. That balance is the point. The recipient gets something that looks made for them and tastes the way the brand has always tasted.

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 lilyobriens.co.uk others onto a card insert, and the two photograph very differently across a long table.

Choose a chocolate made with care, present it simply, order in good time, and your favours will do exactly what they should. They will say thank you, look the part on the table, and quietly make it home in a handful of pockets.