The loss of a loved one is heartbreaking. The following steps of making funeral plans and selecting a memorial can make the experience even more overwhelming if you aren’t familiar with either process. At Quincy Memorials in Massachusetts, the staff is dedicated to helping you through each step. They focus on adding a personal touch, encouraging you to design custom memorials that meet your needs and preferences.

Here are their main tips for designing the perfect custom memorials:

• Know The Person: Custom memorials can come in endless shapes and finishes. One of the best places to begin narrowing down your options is with the person for whom the memorial is meant. Choose one that best fits with their personality, hobbies, or style to honor their memory. If they preferred simplicity, go for more standard crosses and columns.
• Know Your Budget: Budget can dictate many of your choices about custom memorials. However, it is recommended that you have an ideal custom memorial in mind and then work backwards. Lower-cost alternatives can always be found that still resemble the memorial you’d like to build.  
• Plan Ahead: Memorials can be single grave monuments or big enough for three or more people as family monuments. It’s best to have an idea of how many people the memorial will be for so that you can plan for size accordingly. 
• Know What Cemeteries Allow: Memorials range from upright varieties like tablets (like a rose quartz headstone) and monoliths to flat markers and bronze dedication plaques to mausoleums and cremation memorials. The type of memorial you choose depends largely on the cemetery’s restrictions, so make sure you know their regulations before you select one. The size of your memorial is another factor that would require verification with your cemetery. Check what the allotted size is per lot, and then make your selection.

Once you’ve decided on the basics, you can decide on more personalization options like lettering, carving, extra names, and wreath brackets. For more help on designing custom memorials, call Quincy Memorials at (617) 471-0250, or visit them online for more information.