Tips for Choosing a Headstone

Whether you’re making funeral preparations for yourself or for a loved one, choosing a memorial headstone or grave marker is an incredibly important and personal decision. Plenty of thought should go into selecting a headstone, since it’s a permanent way to memorialize those who are important to you. Read on to learn how to choose a headstone for yourself or for a loved one.

Select a type or style

The first step in choosing a headstone for a memorial marker in Phillipsburg, NJ is settling on the type you want. Your budget and your tastes typically guide your decision when it comes to monument type and style. There are generally four different headstone styles available:

• Flat: A flat headstone, also known as a grass marker, is a flat tablet made of stone, concrete or bronze. It’s set flush with the ground and is available in a variety of colors, finishes and sizes. These monuments can be inscribed directly in the stone or on a plaque that’s attached to the stone.
• Flat with raised top: These headstones are similar to regular flat markers but extend up from the ground and usually have a slope. They’re made from stone or concrete and have a sloping front face that contains the memorial inscription.
• Upright: The most traditional headstone design is the upright, and they’re usually set into a concrete base in the ground. Uprights are usually made of granite, marble or limestone. They’re thick, sturdy and large, and usually mark the graves of entire families or couples, containing more than one memorial inscription.
• Kerbed: Kerbed headstones are usually installed in combination with an upright marker. These full-length monuments lie flat across the ground and cover the entire burial plot.

Select a material

There are many popular stones that make durable grave markers. Some of the most common include:

• Granite: Granite comes in a variety of colors and finishes, and it’s an affordable choice that stands up well to the elements.
• Marble: Always stunning and visually appealing, marble is beautiful and smooth, but it lacks the durability of granite.
• Limestone: Limestone is even less durable than marble or granite, but it’s still a popular material for headstones.
• Bronze: This material is incredibly durable and naturally darkens over time. You pay for the durability, though, since this is one of the most expensive headstone materials.

Select a shape and finish

Once you’ve decided on the type and material of a headstone, it’s time to make specific stylistic decisions. Headstone designs can take the form of anything from a rectangle to more complex shapes like hearts, crosses, books and more. Finishes can be polished, partially polished or matte. Many people often add a pitched or rock pitch finish to the stone, giving it a rough and natural effect that gives an aged look and helps it blend in with other stones at traditional cemeteries.

While it can feel strange to consider funeral preparations for yourself or your loved ones, it’s a necessary part of life. Choosing a headstone carefully helps you memorialize those who have made an impact on your life in Phillipsburg, NJ. Contact Phillipsburg Memorial Company for expert guidance on choosing a headstone for yourself or a loved one.

Categorised in: Headstone