The profession of funeral celebrant has existed for more than 50 years.

And yet most Swiss do not even know what a celebrant is. When I tell them I am a professional funeral celebrant, they react with confusion. To this day, the vast majority of funerals in Switzerland are led by ministers and priests in Reformed or Catholic churches.

In parts of England, by contrast, up to 70% of all funerals are led by funeral celebrants in some areas. In Australia, where the profession of funeral celebrant first came into being in 1975, around 60% of all funerals are now conducted by funeral celebrants.

Yet even in English-speaking countries, many families are uncertain about the terminology associated with funerals and celebrants. One funeral celebrant reported that a client had just rung up for a chat about the “urology” (by which she meant the eulogy). Another said they had been referred to as a “humourist”, a “clairvoyant” and a “celibate”, while yet another said her mother called her a “celebrity.

How celebrants can help families

Celebrants do not need to be celibate or clairvoyant, but should be compassionate listeners who can support families at a time when they are most vulnerable and, often, overwhelmed by a combination of grief and the mountain of bureaucracy which accompanies the death of a loved one. Celebrants are good and flexible speakers who can confidently lead a funeral, thereby creating a safe space for mourning. They can gather and organise information and write a fitting and dignified ceremony in line with the many – and sometimes conflicting – wishes of families.

In addition to the personal aptitude they bring to the work, they also need to be trained in many areas including the demands of grief, the varying personal and cultural views on death, conducting a family interview, the crafting of a meaningful and personalised ceremony, delivery of a ceremony and legal requirements.

While official registration is not yet required to practice as a funeral celebrant in any country, rigorous training programmes are now available in most places. In many cases, a diploma or certificate in funeral celebrancy has become a prerequisite for acceptance into professional associations or online listings of celebrants.

Personalised ceremonies

Because funeral celebrants tailor their services to the specific wishes of the family, each and every funeral is different. The deceased may have requested that everyone turn up in pink. Or humour and funny anecdotes may lighten the mood at funeral gatherings of friends and family members.  

Although celebrant-led funerals are non-religious, some families choose to include familiar religious elements from their childhood, such as blessings or prayers. The Lord’s Prayer, for instance.

Often, the deceased or the grieving family believe that life continues after death and ask for spiritual elements to be included in the ceremony. All of these elements have their place in a celebrant-led funeral.

Symbolic actions in funerals can be particularly moving for grieving families. Lighting candles. Scattering petals in the grave, placing flowers on the coffin or taking flowers home as a remembrance of the deceased. Releasing balloons. Memory books.

Decisions on these items, as well as other elements that reflect the deceased’s life, such as readings, music, and personal anecdotes, are made in a family meeting, where the celebrant meets the mourners and discusses their wishes.

The celebrant then plans the order of service, writes a eulogy (tribute) on the deceased and creates a meaningful service for the person who has died. Celebrants generally aim to create services that celebrate a person’s life, as well as providing an opportunity to say goodbye. On the day of the funeral, the celebrant leads the ceremony.

Funerals in chapels or woodlands

Celebrants generally conduct funerals in non-denominational locations such as chapels in crematoriums or cemeteries, in woodland cemeteries or other natural burial places outdoors, or rented meeting venues.

Sometimes funerals are held in places with a special meaning for the deceased and their families. A few years ago, a Swiss colleague of mine, a funeral celebrant who has been working in the profession for over 20 years now, travelled with a family into the mountains of Graubünden. The family was mourning a 30-year-old son, brother and nephew who had plunged to his death there. Led by my colleague, the whole group made their way up the mountain to the very spot where the young man had died. And there, in that tragic mountain location, my colleague led a moving farewell ceremony for his family and friends.

In Switzerland, the profession of funeral celebrant is less well-known and less well-established than in English-speaking countries, although it is becoming increasingly widespread as church membership declines. In German-speaking Switzerland, a professional in the field is called a “Trauerredner” or “Trauerrednerin”, while in French-speaking Switzerland they are referred to as “célébrants” or “célébrantes”. There are about 20 full-time funeral celebrants in German-speaking Switzerland, and most people in the profession work part-time.

How to find a funeral celebrant in Switzerland

In Switzerland, funeral celebrants work independently and are not contracted to Funeral Directors, as in many English-speaking countries. In some cases, your local authority can help you find a celebrant.

Otherwise, families can consult internet lists maintained by celebrant associations. These include:

• The Funeral Celebrants of Switzerland, nationwide. www.trauerredner.ch
• ACOR Cérémonies, French-speaking Switzerland. www.acor-ceremonies.ch
• Berufsverband schweizerischer ZeremonienleiterInnen, German-speaking Switzerland. www.berufsverband-szi.ch
• Abschied Region Basel. www.abschied-regionbasel.ch

Photo: “I felt like she was a family friend”: Jennie Milne is a celebrant in New Zealand who is greatly appreciated for her empathetic manner.