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.

Quantity is the next decision, and it is where couples tend to overspend or come up short. Work per table rather than per head at first. A round of ten guests usually wants ten individual favours, plus a couple spare for the top table and any late additions. Order roughly five to ten per cent over your final count. Chocolates keep, so a small surplus is never wasted, whereas a shortfall on the morning is a genuine headache.

Thank you is the most common thing a gift has to say and the easiest to get slightly wrong. Too small and it reads as an afterthought. Too large and it puts the recipient under a strange obligation. A mid-size personalised chocolate photo box collection or a share bag sits in the right register for almost every version of the occasion.

Wedding favours occupy an odd space. They should feel considered without dominating the budget, and ideally they earn a place in a guest's coat pocket rather than the bin. Chocolate manages both, provided you choose it with a little care.

Skip the flowers, choose a large mixed collection, and add his name if you want the personal touch. It is a practical gift that suits almost any man and almost any occasion, which is precisely why it works when the usual ideas have run out.

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.