Losing someone close to you can be one of the most difficult things you’ll ever experience, but by holding a funeral for them, you can honor their memory and help yourself and your family come to terms with the loss.
Even after the funeral, you can immortalize your loved one’s memory by choosing a funeral monument to watch over their resting place for many years to come. These monuments can be customized in many ways, such as by including inscriptions.
Also, these funeral monuments, also called headstones, come in a variety of designs that you can choose to preserve your loved one’s memory. Let’s take a look at the different funeral monument designs that you can choose from.
Upright Monuments
These are the most traditional funeral monument designs that you can choose from. These funeral monuments can also be very large and can accommodate inscriptions of your loved one’s details, such as their date of birth and date of death, their full name, and even inscriptions of their favorite poems or quotes.
Thanks to their upright positioning, these funeral monuments can be placed on a base; this way, the monument can be clear of the ground and be protected from mud and machinery like lawnmowers.
Garden Statue Monuments
Unlike traditional headstones, these funeral monument designs include statues of sculptures that can be placed over your loved one’s grave. These statues are usually based on cherubs and angels, but you may have a custom design if you wish.
For example, if there was a particular character in fantasy literature or animation that your loved one was very fond of, you can have a garden statue monument based on that character as a unique way to remember your loved one. Also, similar to an upright monument, these garden statues can be inscribed with personal texts and religious scriptures.
Kerbed Headstones
This funeral monument design is similar to upright headstones. The main difference is that these headstones cover your loved one’s entire grave.
These headstones feature a stone border that surrounds the edge of the grave, creating a walled space in the center. This space can be decorated by planting flowers and other plants, placing smaller monuments, or a matching stone slab.
Flat Headstones
If you’re planning your loved one’s funeral on a very limited budget, flat headstones are one of the most affordable options you can go for. These headstones are shaped like tablets and are placed flat on your loved one’s grave. However, you may still choose to place the headstone on a base to keep it slightly elevated.
Despite their simple design, they can still be customized to look like certain objects; for example, books.
Bronze Grave Markers
Compared to traditional marble, granite, or concrete funeral monuments, bronze grave markers are more expensive, but they last much longer. Also, these markers are very aesthetically pleasing and can be customized like any other funeral monument.
If you’re looking for an eloquent way to mark your loved one’s final resting place, bronze grave markers are a good choice.
Memorial Benches
Unlike other funeral monuments, memorial benches will not accompany your loved one’s remains. Instead, these monuments will be placed either in a churchyard or in a place that was important to your loved one or you and your family.
As the name implies, these monuments are stone or wooden benches and they can feature inscriptions and artwork just like traditional headstones.
Columbarium
A columbarium is a funeral monument that is designed to store urns containing the ashes of your loved one. Cemeteries may already have columbaria available and these can either be out in the open or enclosed inside a room.
Usually, the columbarium is a wall with spaces carved into it where urns can be placed. Some columbaria may allow you to place a plaque to enclose your loved one’s urn.
Speak with a funeral home about funeral monument designs
Picking the right funeral monument to carry on your loved one’s memory can feel impossible when you’re grieving. Fortunately, you can always turn to a professional funeral services provider for help.
These funeral service providers will help you explore the many kinds of funeral monuments available and help you choose one that is perfect for telling your loved one’s story and preserving their memory for generations.
