The Difference Between Headstones, Monuments, Markers, and Urns
Determining the way to remember a loved one after death is a decision not to be taken quickly. Our recommendation is that you wait a number of months after a death to decide on what type of memorial to purchase. There are many different options out there for you, and depending on how you want your loved one remembered, the financial assets you have, and certain restrictions of cemeteries, there is certainly a lot to think through. However, there is always an option that will make sense for you, provided you know what the options are:
Headstone
The headstone is the most common form of memorial for a grave site. The headstone is typically a piece of rock (usually granite) that sits erect on the ground, allowing individuals who walk past to easily identify the individual. You can have any information you desire carved into the headstone, ranging from a person's name, to birth date and death date, to a quote or saying, to an engraving or inscription. For military funerals, often times there is a sign or symbol of their military outfit or division. A headstone is typically less ornate than true monuments, and often times are smaller. It is common to have one headstone per family (mother and father).
Monument
When people refer to monuments, they typically refer to larger headstones (think "monumental"... aka "big"). While monuments are often times the same shape as headstones, you likely have seen other monuments in very different shapes and sizes. Some gravesites have lion monuments twenty feet long by ten feet high. Other gravesites have large obelisks, or tall skinny spindles (think "The Washington Monument" in Washington, D.C.). A monument might have any icon or image represented typically in three dimensional form. If you walk through a cemetery you are going to see a large number of monuments, ranging from saints and angels watching over a grave site to other animals that represent the individual. It is possible to have just about any sort of monument created for your loved one, although depending on the cemetery, there might be some specific height restrictions you need to check into (which any experienced monument dealer can do for you). However, usually, there isn't an issue with you designing and selecting an image, icon, animal or anything else as a monument for your passed loved one.
Marker
A marker is a smaller option of a memorial that is not going to gain as much attention as a monument or headstone simply because of its size. A cemetery marker often sits flat, so you can only read it when standing straight above it (although some markers have a slight angle designed to it that make it easier to read). This is the easiest memorial to maintain. Most cemetery ground crews are able to perform this for you if you are not able to make it to the grave site. They often times will remove unwanted grass or weed growths around it. The marker allows for the same basic information as a headstone to be printed, which is desirable. This is also an excellent option for anyone who is looking to save money and doesn't have the financial assets to build a large monument (or for the deceased individual who just doesn't want anything large constructed over their grave cite).
Urn
If your loved one wanted cremation as their finale wishes, the urn is the desired method for holding onto the ashes. Whether you want to spread the ashes in another location or save it as a memorial or your loved one, the urn is an ornate decorate piece to keep the ashes safe. Of course, there are many different designs of urns, and it is possible to have something that best fits the personality of the individual and their desires.
Selecting the prefect memorial to represent the life of a life one is a decision you shouldn't take lightly, and we urge that you take the time to determine what is best for your loved one's wishes... as well as what fits within your budget. Do not be pressured into buying until you are ready and able. The last thing you want to do is regret the decision you've made.
By: Ryan Durkin. You can email ryan@headstonehub.com or fill out our contact form here if you have any questions about this blog post.