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.

One honest note. If the couple ask about ingredients or dietary suitability, point them to the published product information rather than answering yourself.

For a birth announcement, the same idea travels well by post. A box carrying the new arrival's name says congratulations more warmly than a card and reaches family who cannot visit in person yet. It suits grandparents, godparents and the friends who want to mark the moment without turning up with yet another set of babygrows.

Match hampers to clients, share bags to teams, order in good time, and keep the look consistent. Handled that way, corporate chocolate gifts Ireland does its quiet job of maintaining a relationship without asking much of you.

Provenance gives a retirement gift the weight it should have. Lily O'Brien's has handcrafted its chocolates in Newbridge, Co. Kildare since 1992, and holds BRC Grade A+ accreditation for its production, so the hamper arrives as something made with genuine care rather than assembled for the sake of it. For a gift meant to say a career mattered, that kind of detail does real work.

A few practical points make personalisation go smoothly. Check the character limit before writing your message, and read the spelling back carefully, since a printed name is permanent and a misspelt one is worse than none. If you are working from an image, use a clear, bright one. Allow extra time in the order, because personalised print adds a step, and longer still if the christening falls near Christmas.