Headstones

Q&A about Bronze and Granite Cemetery Headstones

When should I buy a headstone?

• Some people arrange to buy headstones before they die. This is known as pre-need purchase. In other cases, family members buy the headstone after the death; this is called an at-need purchase. Both types are common, and neither is necessarily  better than the other.
• Our recommendation is not to set the headstone to early onto the gravesite, the ground will settle and will need to be filled again, if you put the grave headstone to early onto the grave it will have to be removed and reset again (the cemetery usually charges for that). We recommend to purchase and go throught the cemetery approval process and the stone be set about 4-6 month after the burial.

What are the differences between bronze and granite headstones?

• Granite headstones remain the most common cemetery headstones in most cemeteries.
• The choice of which to use depends, largely, on your taste. Both materials have been used for centuries to mark graves and for many other purposes in which withstanding the elements is a chief aim. And both make for beautiful memorials to your loved-ones.
• The cemetery sometimes has sections which are assigend to a specific style headstone, either bronze on granite or just granite.
• Bronze headstones are typically attached to a 4-inch granite base. We do offer the option of purchasing the bronze plaque without the base or without. Sometimes the bronze headstones are set onto concret.

Do I need to have a bronze vase on headstones?

• The headstone can be purchased with or without a floor vase.
• The vase can be in the granite or in the bronze.

How are those vases attached?

• The vases is attached with a chain.
• The vases can be when not in use reset into the granite or into the bronze. It is installed with a vase liner under the grave marker.

Can a picture be added to a cemetery headstone?

• Yes, the pictures come in bronze or in ceramic.
• The pictures can be added afterward as well, as long as enough space is left for the picture.
• See our ceramic and bronze picture section for those as well.

Are there rules and regulations from the cemetery for the headstones?

• Yes, policies regarding headstones vary greatly among cemeteries, we will contact your cemetery before we process your order to make certain your headstone will be accepted.

Is the cemetery allowed or can the the cemetery refuse my headstone?

• No, the cemetery has to accept your headstones, as long as the rules are followed.
• The cemetery can only refuse a headstone if the rules and guidlines are not followed (example: certain sections in a cemetery have size requirements for the headstone; or can only be bronze on granite).

How much is shipping, and how long does it take to ship the headstone?

• Shipping charges are included in the price of all our products, including headstones.
• We can generally ship headstones to any cemetery (or business address) in any U.S. In some cases (such as deliveries to rural cemeteries) additional charges may be necessary. We will notify you of these charges.
• In most cases we will deliver your headstone directly to the cemetery about 4-6 weeks after we have received approval from you on the layout.

Can headstones be shipped out of the Continental U.S.?

• Yes, we ship headstones to Alaska or Hawaii, there might be additional shipping charges for the shipping.
• Yes, we ship headstones to Canada as well, with addtional shipping charges.
• Other countries would need a freight carrier to which we can ship to and the freight carrier would then ship your grave marker to your final destination (example: we have shipped to Florida before and the freight carrier transported the headstone to Costa Rica).

Can you send me a catalog about headstones for my parents to read?

• Yes, upon request, we can mail you print literature about our headstones.