A headstone is the most prominent part of a burial site. It marks the grave and serves as a visual memorial, but there’s a surprising amount to consider before installation. There are a lot of things that can shape this final memorial and influence what your options are.
Knowing this makes it easier to compare different types of headstones, understand what affects the overall cost, and know what to expect when ordering a headstone, either for a loved one or as part of your advance burial arrangements.
Exploring Your Headstone and Memorial Options
Certain options and the exact types of headstones available may depend on which Troost Cemetery you’re considering and where the memorial will be placed.
Upright Monuments
This option is what’s typically thought of as a headstone. Upright monuments stand above the ground and can be used for side-by-side graves, so it’s a good option for families seeking a more prominent memorial. An upright monument offers plenty of space to incorporate details that reflect the person it is for.
Flat Markers
Flat markers, sometimes called lawn-level or flush markers, sit close to the ground instead of standing upright. This type of headstone is intended for individual graves. They offer a lower profile while still having room for names, dates, and personalized design elements.
Bronze Memorials
Bronze memorials are flat, lawn-level markers mounted on a granite base. These plaques are available in several configurations, including options for individuals, companions, and double interment spaces. They can be personalized using lettering, emblems, vases, and photographs.
Granite Memorials
Granite memorials are available in both flat and upright styles, for individual or companion spaces or for infant memorials. We offer a range of granite colors, and depending on the design and chosen color, we may be able to incorporate engraved or recessed photographs or other personal details.
What Affects the Cost of a Headstone?
The final cost can vary based on the choices made when creating the memorial. With endless customization options, it helps to understand which decisions influence the overall cost the most.
Type and Size of the Memorial
The size of the memorial can affect the amount of materials needed and how much work goes into creating it. A memorial for one person will have different size and design requirements than a companion memorial or an upright monument for multiple graves. Lawn-level markers are typically the smallest headstone option.
Material and Design
Bronze and granite offer different appearances and design possibilities. Adding a bronze plaque to a granite marker, the granite color you’ve chosen, and the level of customization all contribute toward the total cost. The cost of an upright monument, for example, will vary greatly depending on the type of granite and whether you’ve chosen a standard design or gone more custom.
Personalization and Additional Features
Personal details can make a memorial feel more like the person they’re representing. Adding custom elements like photographs, emblems, vases, and other designs can enhance a headstone. These choices can also affect the overall cost, so keep that in mind when designing and buying a headstone.
What Can You Put on a Headstone or Memorial?
A memorial typically includes basic identifying information, but you can add plenty of additional elements to a headstone.
You can add personalization like:
- An endearment phrase or meaningful wording
- Religious or personal symbols
- Emblems connected to hobbies or interests
- A photograph or etched portrait
- A floral vase
How to Order a Headstone or Memorial
While the details may vary based on the memorial and cemetery, ordering a headstone generally involves selecting a type of headstone, developing the design, and reviewing the details before moving forward with installation, but of course there’s more to it than that.
Review the Available Options
Start by considering the cemetery location and burial space. This helps determine which types of memorials are allowed. Once you know your desired options are available, you can start the process of ordering a headstone.
Choose the Memorial and Begin the Design
Once you know what your options are in terms of availability and budget, you can begin to shape your design and hone in on how you want you or your loved one to be remembered. Headstones should pay tribute to the deceased, and the design is a big part of that.
Review and Approve the Design
Memorial designs can be rendered using computer software so you can review the proposed design. The design proof is an opportunity to make sure the names, dates, wording, and the placement of other personalized details are correct before it is sent off to be fabricated.
Creation and Installation
Once you’ve chosen the size and style and finalized any additional details, the design can move into production. It is then sent to be fabricated, a process that can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of the design and the availability of the materials.
Check Cemetery Requirements Before Choosing a Memorial
Before choosing a memorial, know what is permitted at the location you’ve chosen. There might be specific requirements in terms of placement, size or memorial style that can affect which options are available or where your memorial can go.
This information can help narrow down your choices and keep you from spending time designing a memorial that may not be appropriate for that section of the cemetery, or you realize a specific material you wanted isn’t available there.
What Are the Benefits of Buying a Memorial Directly from the Cemetery?
There are several places where you can buy a headstone. You can purchase them from a monument company or from the funeral home, if you’re working with one. However, there are advantages to getting your headstone from the cemetery where it will ultimately end up.
A Clear Understanding of Cemetery Requirements
One practical benefit of working directly with the cemetery is having access to the people who understand the requirements for that location. This can help ensure any requirements are considered and eliminates any confusion or contradictions, so you get the memorial you want from the beginning. Working with cemetery staff also gives you someone to direct questions about placing and ongoing care for your memorial.
Guidance on Memorial Placement
Working directly with the cemetery can make it easier to understand all the details involved in installing a memorial, not just selecting the design. Certain properties have designated gardens for veterans, while others may have specific sections where certain types of memorials or families are grouped together. The headstone needs to be appropriate for where it will be placed on the grounds, and working with cemetery staff can ensure your memorial ends up in the right place.
One Point of Contact During the Process
Buying directly from the cemetery can provide one place to begin those conversations rather than separating questions about the memorial from questions about the cemetery. Cemetery staff can answer your questions about design, personalization, placement and installation. This can be particularly helpful for families who are navigating the process for the first time.
Coordinate the Ordering and Installation Process
Making a memorial purchase from the cemetery itself makes coordinating everything related to the memorial’s placement and installation easier. Having the cemetery involved from the beginning gives you transparency about what happens as it’s moving through the process. It also means that the delivery and installation of the memorial can be handled from the same team, so everything goes smoothly.
Getting Started with Choosing a Memorial
Choosing a headstone or memorial is a mix of making practical and personal decisions. The overall cost of the memorial will depend on those choices since design elements and premium materials can impact the cost, and you shouldn’t be blindsided by any surprise costs.
When you are considering a memorial at one of the Troost Cemeteries’ locations, our team helps you understand the options available and gets the memorial you want, regardless if the memorial is for yourself or a loved one. A headstone can be a beautiful way to pay tribute to the life that was lived, you just need to know where to start.