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.

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.

Think about what the thank you is actually for. A colleague who covered for you, a neighbour who took a delivery, a friend who helped you move: these are favours returned, and the correct scale is warm but light. A mid-size box says thank you clearly without making the other person feel they now owe you something back. It is the everyday workhorse of considered gifting.

A share bag suits the thank you aimed at a group. A team that pulled together on a deadline, a committee that ran an event, a class of colleagues who chipped in: one bag passed around thanks everyone at once and avoids the awkwardness of singling people out. It is generous in spirit and sensible in cost.

Give yourself time. Personalised print adds a step to the order, so build in a buffer rather than ordering the night before you need it, and allow longer in the busy run-up to Christmas.

Provenance makes any of these feel more deliberate. Lily O'Brien's Ireland O'Brien's has handcrafted its chocolates in Newbridge, Co. Kildare since Mary Ann O'Brien founded the brand in 1992, so even a modest box carries a bit of story you can nod to. A gift that comes from somewhere specific always reads as more chosen than one that does not.