Before commissioning a headstone, you need to think carefully about what you would like as there is no rush.
Funeral directors often put people under pressure at this time as they also have memorial masonary companies and want the client to buy a headstone too. They can produce an off the shelf headstone in three to four weeks but a handcarved headstone will take much longer as its bespoke.
The funeral directors will indicate to you that the plot looks empty or neglected but you should wait until you are sure about how you would like to commemorate your loved one.
Time will make a difference in deciding what you would like to say on the headstone and the results will be much better. If you do this too quickly, emotion will get in the way. Words need to be timeless and less is always more and you will find a way to celebrate the life as time goes on.
Talk through every aspect of the inscription. Think about how you want to remember the loved one. Leave the decision for at least six months to a year or more as the grave needs to settle. If the work is done too early, the headstone will lean forwards which will cause much distress.
Simon Burns-Cox makes bespoke handcarved memorials, gravestones and headstones from his workshop in Edinburgh, Scotland. He will gently guide you through the process of commissioning a headstone with him and there will be regular meetings to discuss your requirements.
