A loved one's headstone serves a huge purpose as a lasting memory and a physical marker you can visit in times of need. Over the years, headstone offerings and design choices have transformed endlessly. According to BillionGraves, cherubs were popular gravestone symbols in the mid-18th century. When it comes to choosing a headstone for your loved one, there are various options to choose from, but here are some tips to help guide you.

Set a Budget

One of the more mundane necessities for choosing headstones or memorials is to set a budget. This budget can usually be set in the last years of life. Including a headstone in end-of-life planning can be a way to bring closure for your loved one.

Choose the Style and Material

Many stylistic options are available for headstones. Religious designs can be popular but a common design through the ages is a simple stone with a curved top, according to Cake, an end-of-life planning advice agency. This ageless design offers a large amount of space to memorialize the deceased. The granite headstone is also timeless for a reason, according to Memorials.com. Simple and dignified, it honors those who have passed.

Decide on Your Inscription

A headstone inscription needs to be several things. A succinct summary of your loved one, including dates of birth and death, can be beautiful, poetic, or relatively modest. If you do not have a particular quote for the deceased, a simple 'In loving memory' is a tribute that graces many headstones.

Select Your Supplier

Finding the right supplier for headstones can sometimes be a daunting task. As you did with a cemetery, get quotes from more than one supplier and explore your options to ensure your supplier can meet your needs. Local monument dealers can offer solid pricing and typically have image galleries on their websites that allow you to get a strong sense of their quality of work.

Ask for a Draft

Once you've chosen your supplier and paid the deposit, ask for a draft for your approval and that of the rest of your family. Check the draft and if it doesn't meet approval, get another draft to fit your needs. Most headstone suppliers can provide drafts within hours using graphic design tools.

Choosing headstones can be difficult in a time of grief, but finding the right professionals to help you doesn't have to be. Contact R Barany Monuments Inc today to learn more about our headstone offerings.