Some couples prefer to share a small box between two settings for couples seated together, which trims the count but complicates the table plan. It works, but it asks more of your stationery and place cards, so only choose it if the saving genuinely matters.

A housewarming gift has a narrow brief. It should suit a home the owners are still arranging, it should not add to the pile of things they have to find space for, and it should feel chosen rather than grabbed on the way over. Chocolate meets all three, which is why a hamper or a share bag tends to work better than another candle or a plant that needs looking after.

What is inside should hold its own. Lily O'Brien's gifting O'Brien's has handcrafted its chocolates in Newbridge, Co. Kildare since 1992, so the box is a genuine gift for the adults rather than a token wrapped around a name. That matters at an event where the parents are tired and the attention is all on the child.

Choose a full hamper for the scale the milestone deserves, lean on a maker with real provenance, and add a personal message from the team. Marked that way, a chocolate hamper gives a career the send-off it warrants and leaves the whole office something to share on the day.

Timing is easy compared with weddings or corporate orders, but if you want personalisation, a new address or a short message for instance, allow a few extra days rather than ordering the night before.

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.