Memorial Headstone Ideas and Designs

When you purchase a memorial headstone for a loved one, you want it to represent your loved one in the best way possible. There is an array of ideas and designs that you may need to consider, be it in respect to the material you use or the design and shape of the stone, or with regard to whether you want a photo, a clip art, or word choice for the epitaph.

To come up with a unique and special headstone design to honor and memorialize a loved one, you may need to spend some time to consider what you would like to incorporate in the headstone. Finding out or remembering who they were as persons, their purpose, hobbies or passion, and what they loved and lived for, will help you create the most unique, meaningful and beautiful memorial headstone design.

What you write on the headstone is also equally important. An epitaph is a phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died. It could be an expression of affection and love or an appreciation of the person’s life and accomplishments. You also have a choice on how you would like their name to be written on the headstone – for instance, if a person was better known by his or her nickname, you could choose to inscribe the nickname or mention both the birth name and the nickname on the headstone.

When it comes to memorial headstone shapes, there are many options: Flat stones, Pillow Tops, Slant’s, Benches or Uprights. A granite headstone in any shape is a personalized representation of a life well lived. Some cemeteries may not allow certain shapes. Make sure that you check what shapes are allowed in your cemetery before you decide.

You also have the option of adding a photo of your loved one on their memorial headstone. The two common types of photos that can be added are: enameled steal cameos and engraved photos. With enameled steal cameos, any original photo or scanned image can be reproduced and permanently fired into a variety of oval, square, rectangular and even heart-shaped tiles. On the other hand, an engraved photo can only be created on black color granite, using the halftone artwork by breaking the image into small dots. It can give the illusion of a grayscale image. Having a clear idea of what you want will greatly help the designer and sculptor to create the most appropriate and beautiful memorial headstone for your loved one.