A Quick Guide to Choosing a Headstone

Choosing and/or designing a headstone for a loved one can be a somber, yet rewarding process. You want to make sure the headstone is appealing and represents your loved one well.

Some questions you may ask yourself are:

• What style of headstone should I go with?
• What color stone do I like best?
• What text and designs will go on the headstone?

This guide is a good resource for anyone choosing a headstone for a loved one. Below is a list of steps you can follow for choosing/designing the perfect headstone.

Picking a Style of Headstone

There are many styles of headstones to choose from. The most popular types of headstones are:

• Flat Headstones (or grass markers) – are set flat and flush to the ground. Typically rectangular in shape
• Bevel Headstones – same as a flat headstone but bevel headstones are raised and cut on a slight angle like a wedge
• Slant Headstones – stand upright and the cut of the headstone’s face is slanted. Can be set with or without a base
• Upright Headstones – tablet style headstone that sits on a sturdy base
• Memorial Benches – the three most common types of memorial benches are: park bench, pedestal bench, and harp leg bench
• Custom Headstones – headstones that are 100% personalized and unique and can range in size and design

Headstone Styles

Picking the Headstone Color

Most headstones are made from granite due to the following reasons:

• Durability – granite is a hard stone which will last a lifetime and beyond
• Maintenance – granite headstones require little maintenance and can withstand harsh environmental conditions
• Variety – granite stone comes in a large variety of colors

Below is a list of granite colors to choose from. Please note that the ‘White Marble’ is marble and not granite.

Granite Headstone Colors

Headstone Wording & Design/Artwork

Now that you’ve decided on the style and color of the headstone, it is time to decide what will appear on the headstone. 

The inscription (wording and designs/artwork) style can help differentiate your loved one’s headstone from others and make it more unique. The 3 most common inscriptions on a headstone are:

• the deceased’s name
• the deceased’s date of birth
• the deceased’s date of death

Other common wording inscriptions include:

• the deceased’s wedding date
• the deceased’s childrens names
• an epitaph – a short message in memory of the deceased

Common designs and artwork:

• Hobbies
• Scenery

Accents: (Additional Enhancements)

Below is a list of additional headstone enhancements to choose from. These are optional enhancements that can help personalize headstones.

• Special Artwork
• Porcelain Photo
• Laser Etching (Black Granite Headstones Only)
• Vases or Flower Holes
• Shape Carving/Sculpting
• Bronze Hero Medallions
• Bronze Vet Plaques

We hope this headstone guide has been helpful. To get started on designing a headstone for yourself or a loved one, please fill out the form on our Contact Us page or call us at (435) 752-4949.