Life is as much about joy and celebration as it is about tragedy and loss. The birth of a child, a couple’s decision to spend their lives together, a graduation, a rite of passage from youth to adulthood: these and other major milestones in our lives are all causes for happiness. And they’re all marked by special occasions at which people deliver speeches to help celebrate the joyous event.

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If you’re delivering a speech of celebration at such an occasion, your role is to explain the significance of the occasion, acknowledge the joy everyone is feeling, and inspire the audience to take part in the celebration. The following tips can help you achieve this goal.

Aim for Brevity. Take enough time to remind your audience why the gathering is important and joyful—but not so much time that you tire, bore, or distract the audience from the subject of the celebration.

Use Humor Appropriately. Different cultures define “appropriate” humor in different ways. Use audience analysis to determine whether humor is OK for the particular celebration or whether listeners would find it distracting or offensive. Never use humor to hurt; instead, use it to highlight endearing qualities of the people being celebrated. Tell stories about the celebrant that he or she finds funny, and avoid making jokes about matters the person is embarrassed about or considers sensitive. Consider using humor in a self-deprecating way, so that the story you’re sharing is funny rather than hurtful.

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