No doubt you are looking forward to special events in your life and the lives of those close to you. Be it a wedding, an awards banquet, a funeral, or another occasion, a few carefully chosen words can help to heighten the significance and emotions of the event. While speeches for special occasions are designed to be different from those for school or work, the basic tenets of public speaking still apply. What is very important to keep in mind is that the event is about sharing and celebrating with others. A special occasion speech is meant to lift others up, even in the solemn case of a funeral eulogy. Even if you are the emcee of an event or the winner of an award who is asked to give an acceptance speech, remember the focus should not be on you, but rather on the event itself or the person or people being celebrated.