Everything You Need To Know About Purchasing A Headstone For Your Loved One

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Planning a funeral is never an easy thing to do. There are many difficult decisions to be made as well as going through the grieving process while doing so. One of the most important steps, however, is needing to pick out a headstone. The headstone on a grave is a stone structure that is customizable to represent your lost friend or family member to your family or others walking by the grave of the loved one. Some things to consider are shapes and sizes, pricing, and which monument company to go through. Here are some tips and factors in choosing a headstone.

Type Of Headstone

  • Flat Markers: Flat marker headstones are lawn-level headstones made from mainly granite or bronze. If you choose granite, however, the color of the marker may be customized. The price of these typically ranges from $250.00-$350.00.
  • Upright Headstone: Upright headstones are the most common headstone. They consist of a vertical stone on top of a base stone. These are sometimes engraved with names of other family members on the backside of the monument.
  • Slant, Bevel, and Ledger Marker: The slant marker headstone looks similar to the upright headstone, but it is thicker and shorter. The bevel marker is also known as a pillow marker, resembling the slant marker but the angling is not as steep. The ledger headstone is a thick stone that covers the whole grave, usually made from granite, marble, or sandstone.
  • Standard Tablets: These are simple stones that are set in the ground or foundation. These headstones include, as well, a domed tablet, shoulder tablet, and a gothic tablet. The domed tablet is made with a rounded top, the shoulder tablet is made with an angled top, and the gothic tablet is made with curves and angles.

Buying A Headstone

Cemeteries have many rules and regulations that people must comply with. With this knowledge in mind, there are certain headstones that a cemetery will and will not allow. This is a tricky part of picking a headstone because with some cemeteries only allowing certain shapes and sizes, it can be harder to figure out how much room on the stone you will have to commemorate your loved one. Another factor in purchasing a headstone is what your family can afford. There is a wide range of prices for headstones, but most prices are quite high so this is a factor that should be thought of carefully. It is also important to know what kind of material your headstone will be made of.



Type Of Material

When thinking of the material for a headstone, there is a variety of materials to choose from. These materials include marble, granite, slate, sandstone, fieldstone, bronze, and more. All of these materials vary in price and durability. Sandstone, for example, is much weaker than bronze or granite. Granite also comes in a variety of different colors, but the colors may cost more depending on which color you wish to use.

Engraving And Designing A Headstone

An important factor to remember when getting a headstone engraved is that engravings will fade over time. One of the main reasons this happens is acid rain. Your budget for engraving is also affected because engraving prices vary for each word you want on your headstone, aside from the names and dates of the loved one. Prices for engraving typically go from about $200.00 anywhere to over $1,000.00. This is the normal price for the headstone that can be raised depending on what additional words you want to be engraved. 

Along with having a headstone engraved, it is also important to think about what design you want for the headstone. Many cemeteries have regulations about designs that are allowed. So with this in mind, the writing that can be engraved on the headstone chosen may or may not be limited. These prices and designs may also be limited based on which monument company in Lebanon OH the headstone is being made by.

Accessories

If you wish to add accessories to a loved one’s headstone, there are a variety of options to choose from. When paired with the design and engraving on the headstone, accessories added can further commemorate the person and make the headstone look a little bit nicer. Some examples of accessories are ceramic photos, vases, memorial lights, and statues.

  • Ceramic Photos: Adding a ceramic photo is typically done by baking the pigments from a photo into a ceramic base. One of the positive things about getting a ceramic photo is that the colors will not fade. The average price for photos is about $100.00 but can increase to anywhere near $500.00.
  • Vases: Vases are used for flowers you want on a headstone and can be either above ground or in-ground. Above-ground vases are made from granite or sometimes bronze, while in-ground vases are made from aluminum or zinc. Prices for vases typically start at around $100.00 and can increase based on materials and sizes.
  • Memorial Lights: There are two kinds of light accessories, candles, and solar lights. Candles are the most common choice between the two. These often have an option of purchasing a holder as well to protect it from wind and rain. Solar lights are known to be very beautiful but can be inconvenient because they need the sun to stay on. The price of candles is about $50.00-$200.00, while solar lights are around $35.00 and up.
  • Statues: Statues are most commonly chosen in religious matters. They can be made from materials like marble and granite, although marble is more popular because of its durability. Prices for statues start around $100.00 but will go up depending on the size.

Overall, choosing a headstone for a loved one is challenging but can be made easier with the help of a few tips. The main things to remember are what your family budget is as well as determining what will be put on the headstone to pay a tribute to the loved one. With these considerations in place, your headstone is sure to have as much elegance and style as the person it represents.

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