If you want to lift it further, a personalised message or his name on the box turns a generic present into one addressed to him. Keep the message short and let the collection do the talking. Allow a little extra time for personalised print, and more in the run-up to Christmas when orders stack up.

Gifts for men run into the same tired shortlist every year, and flowers rarely make it onto it. Lily O'Brien's chocolate gifts does a better job than its reputation suggests, provided you pick the format with the recipient in mind. For most men and most occasions, a large mixed collection is the sensible answer.

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.

Get the count right with a sensible buffer, place each favour consistently, and order well ahead of the day. The etiquette looks after itself once the logistics do.

One honest note. If anyone at the gathering asks about ingredients or dietary suitability, point them to the published product information rather than answering yourself.

A word of care on this occasion above others. Questions about ingredients and dietary suitability come up often around new families, so point people to the published product information rather than offering assurances yourself. It is the honest and accurate way to handle it, and it matters more here than most places.