When someone close to you passes away, there are several arrangements to make. From finding the right funeral home to planning the eulogy, it’s important to honor and respect your loved one’s wishes. If your loved one chose to have a traditional burial and headstone, you might be responsible for writing the inscription. When writing a headstone inscription, consider the following tips to ensure you appropriately deliver the message.

How to Create a Headstone Epitaph

1. Take Your Time

Choosing the right inscription for a headstone is important to preserving the memory of your loved one. Take your time and evaluate all the inscription options carefully. Speak with the funeral home professionals for suggestions to get started.

2. Don’t Use Clichés

While it can be tempting to go with something common, avoid using clichés like “In loving memory of,” as the meaning and emotion can get lost. Instead of using a cliché, try utilizing different words to convey the same meaning, like “lovingly remembered” or “never forgotten.”

3. Avoid Too Many Words

It’s easy to use too many words when honoring your loved one, but opt for short phrases instead of long sentences. Whether your loved one wants to be known for being a friend, parent or animal lover, making small lists allows you to encompass more of the amazing qualities of the deceased.

4. Find Someone With Experience

Once you’ve chosen the perfect message, find a professional engraver with experience engraving letters and words. If you aren’t sure where to start, ask the funeral home professionals which engravers they recommend or regularly work with.

Writing a loved one’s gravestone epitaph can be a difficult undertaking when grieving, but with the help of funeral home professionals, you can put together a message of honor and remembrance. Porto Funeral Homes provides numerous services to New Haven County residents. From helping you make arrangements to assisting with gravestone inscriptions and engraver recommendations, they offer various services. To learn more about Porto Funeral Homes, visit their website or call (203) 467-3000.