Headstone Memorial for a Loved One

Memorial headstones are one of the most popular and traditional ways to memorialize a loved one that has passed away. It is a way of remembrance that also shows the deceased proper respect even after they have gone on. It is a lasting memorial that will keep a loved ones name alive and well long after the burial.

Making the final arrangements for someone who has passed on can be a very trying time. There is a lot to consider and take in during a very short period of time. Once the major arrangements are finalized, thoughts often turn to how the deceased will be memorialized at their place of burial. Headstones are the number one way to remember and honor the deceased.

Memorial headstones come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. It is up to the ones left behind to honor the deceased in a proper and fitting manner by choosing the most appropriate headstone available, whether it is bronze or granite.

Unfortunately, it is not always as easy as just simply picking out the prettiest one. Some cemeteries have strict regulations that must be adhered to. It is up to the deceaseds loved ones to follow the rules and buy accordingly.

Before purchasing a memorial headstone, the buyer must research the cemetery where it is to be placed. The intended cemetery will be able to put to rest any concerns that you may have regarding headstone selection and cemetery guidelines. They will be able to inform the buyer what is and is not allowed. This will let the buyer purchase the headstone with the utmost confidence.

There are several issues that the buyer should go over with the cemetery regarding headstones. The most obvious is regarding size. Does the cemetery place restrictions regarding the dimensions of the headstone? Is there a minimum or maximum size restriction?

The types of headstones that are allowed must also be established. The two most prominent headstone types are upright and flat memorials. Some cemeteries only allow one type, while others allow both. It is up to the cemetery as to the type of look it wishes to project.

Does the cemetery place any color restrictions on the memorial headstones? This restriction is relevant to both bronze and granite headstones. What about vases? Some headstones have integrated vases that hold flowers and arrangements. Before buying a headstone that has a vase, the buyer should make sure this type of memorial is allowed.

The procedures for delivery and installation should also be verified before the purchase of the memorial. Does the cemetery impose any extra fees for this service?

These restrictions should not hamper the search for the perfect memorial. In fact, these restrictions should only be viewed as guidelines to make the search for the headstone easier. A headstone should be a purchased wisely and with love. The buyer should never feel like he or she settled. This is lasting tribute to one that was loved in life and should be purchased as such.

Art of negotiating with tombstone sellers

Business is all about making use of the opportunity to make money to the maximum. This opportunity may exist when there are not many competitors around or when you have certain speciality which others do not have. There is a third scenario as well. You can make good money if the others are not in a position to negotiate well and you are in a business which regularly services these types of people. One such business is that of selling the headstones or monuments which are placed on the grave of the dead person. If some near and dear one has been laid to rest in a cemetery, then you are required to place the tombstone as a custom. However, when you go to buy one, you might find that the prices are shooting over the roof. Bringing the prices down might not be easy but it nevertheless worth doing your bit to make the seller reduce the prices. Here is how this can be achieved:

1. If possible do not go on your own if you are in a sad and depressive mindset. These conditions might not permit you to negotiate at all. Advantage can be taken of this situation by the sellers and might sell at MRPs. Try sending some other person whom you know can strike a better deal.

2. If there is a separate charge for different engraving methods which can get the message on the grave monuments, then you can select the one which falls within your budget.

3. It is always better to ask the details about the stuff and keep asking the prices along with. Some people use the strategy of asking the prices afterwards. This gives the time to the seller to judge your mood and he can then jack up the prices on ascertaining where your preferences lie. By asking the prices in between the conversation while enquiring about the headstones, there is a bit of unsettling effect on the seller and he will be bound to tell the prices which he has already thought of. He can not jack these up for fear of being caught in inconsistent and illogical prices.

4. Bargaining is a matter of skills and it is always better to control the flow of communication in the direction you want. Do not let the grave monuments sellers to get the impression that you are in a sad state.

5. Examine the different heads of charges carefully and tell him something which looks is unreasonable. Do not ask him why this is so. If you do so, you are asking him to defend the high price for the tombstone. Rather, tell him quite strongly that the charge is unbelievable.

If the seller already has a room for reducing the prices but would do so after considerable prodding, then your negotiations shall proceed to do the same. If the person is adamant, even after he is confronted with unreasonableness of charges, then it is better to leave.

Methods of getting the designs made on the tombstones

The amazing variety of the tombstones and monuments for the graveyards that can be found on the online or the offline mediums gives you a range of options to choose from. You can select from a range of materials which are used for making these. There are the granite and the marble grave monuments which are most widely used. The less prominently used ones are made from stones, metals and even wood. Then, there can be a range of different shapes or designs in which the shapes of the grave monuments can be made. You can have the rounded cut, rectangular, oval shaped or any other shape of tombstone. Then, you can also have the different designs carved out using the different techniques. These designs could be religious symbols, special characters based on cultural influences, etc.

All this variety has led to these creations being called ‘funeral art’ by the people. It is interesting to note the techniques used for getting the designs inscribed on the tombstones.

1. Sandblasting: This is a technique used for forcing the abrasion of a surface in order to create a rough surface from a smooth one or vice versa. There can be flat carved sandblast designs which are created by using a pre-cut stencil attached to a headstone and sand blasting it. The design or the words of the pre cut stencil will get inscribed on the surface of the tombstone. Then, there is the shaped carved design which is a two step process to develop the designs on the surface with more depth. You can also have the hand carvings done on these grave monuments, if not sand blasting using the machines.

2. Etched designs: There are two ways in which the designs can be etched on to the surface of the granite or marble tombstone. One is by making use of the lasers and the other is by manual operation. The laser one is done by using the computers. Designs to be etched are fed into the computer and the laser is used to get the same carved out on the stone. It provides the depth to the designs. Manual operation of the etching process is done using the diamond tipped tool. The effect of etching is best achieved by using a dark granite grave monument.

3. Dyes: There are special dyes which can be added to the stones or marbles surfaces to make the letters or the other carved out designs come out beautifully. These dyes can be used on the stones made of various material.

Though the designs are many to choose from, the prices would vary greatly, depending on the type of material used for making the tombstones

as well as the techniques used for carving out the designs. Even the amount of work involved in the design itself can also be a contributory factor for the price variation. These considerations might influence the choice of different designs and type of grave monuments.

How to select affordable headstones, monuments and tombstones?

Marketers are clever people. They know how to make use of your emotions and sensitivities. They make use of the special occasions, worth celebrating or mourning, to make money. Carefully couching their words in the marketing jargon, they offer their products or services at exorbitant rates. They know that some of the situations, like the death of a person, are not going to happen again and that the near and dear ones who are in a state of mourning will not negotiate much on the prices. For the person who is bereaved of his near and dear ones, and for whom he wants to show his last respects and love, there is very little that he can do symbolically beyond the placing of headstones monuments on the grave. When he goes to look for the same, the prices seem to be touching the skies. Therefore, finding affordable headstones monuments becomes an uphill task.

Why are these affordable?

The people supposedly offering discounted headstones use this more as an encouragement to come to their store rather than delivering anything really cheap to the customers. Even if they do offer something at cheaper rates, you need to be cautious since it could be of inferior quality or it could be some defective piece. How do you check whether the quality is inferior is not? Well, most of the headstones, monuments and tombstone are made of marble or granite and you can check their quality only by viewing the same.

Most of the defects of the marble or granite can become prominently visible by pouring water on it and wiping it with a cloth.Once the dust is removed, you can see that defects in the forms of dots or cracks will show up. These types are generally available at discounted prices. If the nature of defect is such that the headstone will not break while getting carved or installed on the grave, you can buy the same. You can take the advice of the marble-worker for the same. These types of affordable headstones monuments are a good deal.

Be Practical:

You need to be practical. People who will come to offer their respects to the departed soul are least likely to view or closely examine the quality of headstone. So, why to go out of your budget to place top-quality stone when no one is bothered a single bit about the same.

That does not mean that you shall undervalue your emotions. It only means that you shall prevent moving in the emotional overdrive only to lead to a financial extravagance. Neither does it mean that you shall select the cheapest of all which will break while working on the stone.

Genuinely affordable headstone monuments:

Some of the companies cut their margins or use their economies of scale to offer you the cheap headstones, monuments, tombstones. These are the genuine ones, offering you top quality products at relatively cheap rates. References and searches can make you reach the right company over a period of time.