Of all of the questions that come up as you plan a funeral service, one of these questions will have an enduring effect: what should you do for the headstone? The decorations you choose will stand as a representation of the deceased for years to come, so headstone design is an important thing to consider. Here are some tips on how to plan out a great headstone.

Use a Headstone Designer

Custom headstones are worth the extra time and money. They allow you to choose the exact materials and designs you want. You can also have custom shapes or etchings that represent your loved one. Since this is their last worldly possession, why make it something generic that thousands of other people also have?

Think Carefully About Sizing

The size of the headstone matters for a few reasons. If you are doing a home burial, the larger headstones can be surprisingly heavy to move around if you need to plant them yourself. Larger headstones can become an altar on which you can place flowers and other goods though. A larger headstone can stand out and be an easy visual locator within a cemetery plot. It may also make the headstone stand out to vandals as a good place to do their work. Get some advice from your custom headstone shop on the correct sizing to make your headstone unique but also practical.

If you elect for cremation services, that's a great way to save some money on the funeral process, so that you can devote more to the headstone to make it more elaborate or larger. That's something to consider since it also makes home burial much simpler.

Consider Shapes and Materials

Headstones can be square or rounded. Some people make their grave markers tall and skinny, while others prefer the marker to be low to the ground. There are plenty of additives that you can put in the cement to make the headstone a different color than your average gray.

Ask for Input on Wording

Many minds work better together. How about asking your friends and family for words of wisdom or remembrance that remind you of the person who has passed away? Coming up with the perfect saying on your own can be difficult, but with a few more people thinking about it, you're bound to come up with the best outcome.

Think About Patterns

There will be words on your headstone, but patterns and pictures can also paint a picture of your family member. Leaves, animals, people, natural landscapes, or symbols can all be an appropriate part of the grave marker's design. You don't have to be artistic to put these into a great and coherent design; the headstone maker may have some design input for you.

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