The people behind
every farewell we hold
Rite of Passage Funerals is an independent, female-owned Funeral Director based on the Gold Coast. Founded in 2018 by Yasemin Trollope, our intention is to create end-of-life services that are modern, beautiful, and as individual as the people they honour.
In 2015, Yasemin's mother had a severe allergic reaction to chemotherapy treatment and was rushed to the ICU. In the waiting room, frightened, uncertain, and searching for something to hold onto, Yasemin found herself thinking about what would happen if the worst came to pass. What options were available? Who would guide them through it? What would it look like?
What she found when she started looking didn't match what she felt the moment deserved. The industry she encountered was functional, but formulaic; short on personality, shorter on warmth. There was nothing that felt like them. Nothing that felt like it could hold the full weight of a life.
Her mother pulled through. She is, thankfully, very much still here. But that waiting room stayed with Yasemin, and what began as a frightening hypothetical became a calling she couldn't ignore.
She trained as a Funeral Celebrant and Funeral Director, moved to the Gold Coast, and in 2018 founded Rite of Passage Funerals with a simple, firm belief: that a farewell should be as individual and as carefully considered as the person it honours.
Yasemin Trollope
Yasemin Trollope is an independent Funeral Director and Celebrant based on the Gold Coast, with more than seven years of experience guiding families through some of life's most tender, most difficult moments. She is the owner and head funeral planner of Rite of Passage Funerals, and the person families speak with first, and last, on every farewell we hold.
Before starting Rite of Passage Funerals, Yasemin built a 15-year career in media as a beauty and wellness editor, a regular face on Channel 9's Mornings, and in marketing and PR roles with high-end wellness brands including Amazonia. It was a career built on storytelling and on understanding what people need to feel seen and heard; skills that, as it turns out, translate with remarkable precision to the work of honouring a life.
Yasemin's approach to funeral planning is shaped by a deep belief that death is not something to be managed efficiently and moved past, but a moment to be held, honoured, and made meaningful. She brings to every service the same creative rigour and personal warmth she would want for her own family.
She is independent and deliberately different. In an industry that has traditionally been slow to change, Yasemin has built a practice that is modern in its approach, generous in its care, and uncompromising in its quality. Proud to be female-owned, and prouder still to have served many families across the Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Northern Rivers.
The principles behind
every farewell we design
The other people behind your farewell
It takes a trusted network of people to deliver a farewell at the standard our families deserve. Our team includes experienced celebrants, florists, caterers, photographers, venue coordinators and mortuary professionals, each selected for their craft and their care.
Every person who works with us understands that they are not just delivering a service, they are part of something that matters enormously to a family. We hold that standard across every person, every role, every farewell.
The Funeral Fix
Yasemin is also the founder of The Funeral Fix, an education and training platform for funeral industry professionals. Through The Funeral Fix, she trains the next generation of funeral directors and celebrants, sharing the knowledge, skills and philosophy she has developed over seven years of practice.
"The Rite of Passage Funerals team were heartfelt and professional the whole way through. I felt really comfortable working on ideas with them, and being guided by their knowledge."
ISOBEL B
We'd love to hear
about the person
you're honouring.
Whether you're planning ahead, navigating a loss, or just want to understand your options, we're here. There's no cost and no obligation in a conversation, just the chance to talk through what's possible with people who do this every day.