Headstone Designs: Selecting a Fitting
Design for Your Loved One
When a loved one has passed away we are left
with a void in our lives that is immeasurably vast. After the
memorial service and subsequent cemetery burial, there is an unmarked
grave in need of a
headstone or grave marker.
Headstone designs are a way for us to make a visual connection with the one we so dearly miss.
The Designing Process
After the burial has taken place and a little
time has passed, we are able to reflect upon the significance
of our loved one and the life they lived. It is within these moments
that inspiration to create a
headstone design may settle upon
us. It is suggested that some time be taken to thoroughly consider
possibilities for a headstone design, as the permanence and cost
of a completed headstone will not allow for a second take.
Ideas For Headstone Designs
Headstone designs are generally reflective
of the individual's personality whose grave they are meant to
mark. If the person was a big nature lover there are designs that
carry an outdoor motif such as evergreens or a mountain scene
to set a breathtaking background. Also in this vein of headstone
designs are numerous floral patterns derived from such popular
flowers as roses, dogwoods, lilies and tulips.
Floral headstone designs are very popular
in today's American culture. Each flower has a
symbolic meaning and for this reason the are chosen to grace the design
of a loved one's memorial.
If religion played a big part in the person's
life, there are numerous religious themed headstone designs available.
If a religion is not represented among the headstone designs available,
then any design can be accented through the use of religious emblems
or symbols.
Another popular theme for headstone design is sports and recreation. Often we have seen headstones designed around the person's favorite sports team or a recreational hobby they used to partake in. It is designs like these that we wish to remember our loved ones by.
Personalizing The Headstone
Upon settling on a headstone design, now
comes the task of personalizing the headstone. Typically the person's
name and life dates are engraved or cast on the headstone depending
on the material.
Emblems and symbols are usually 3" - 4"
in size and can be either cast on a bronze headstone, sandblasted
on a granite headstone or lasered onto a black granite headstone. Emblems come in the widest array of subjects
such as animals, flowers, religious icons, military credentials,
sports, music and all sorts of vehicles to name but a few. Their
purpose is to further personalize the memorial of the person it is
for.
With the need to personalize a headstone,
more and more individuals are choosing headstone designs that
incorporate a ceramic picture.
Ceramic pictures or portraits are the result of a proprietary process
that enables the likeness of a loved one to be emblazoned on a
ceramic or porcelain tile. They are available in both color
and black & white versions and many shapes such as oval, rectangular,
circular, and heart shapes.
Headstone Epitaphs & Verses
If there is enough room left on the headstone,
you can choose a
beautiful epitaph to compliment the design. Some choose to borrow from existing
epitaphs while others prefer to create their own or rely on other
sources such as
biblical scripture.
The overall design coupled with a fitting
epitaph or verse will make for a truly unique memorial that will
serve as an everlasting tribute to the one you love.
Before committing to a finished product
it is wise to first sketch out a plan for the
headstone design or have the monument company who is handling your
order do so. This gives you the opportunity to review the work
to be created and make any changes before it is too late. Most
monument dealers will offer a layout proof of the memorial showing how it will look before it is produced.
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