Headstone and Grave Marker Design Checklist

affordable headstones
by Nick Kurz

A person’s headstone is a lasting reminder of who that person will live on for centuries. So, their headstone needs to represent who they were in life. Here are a few tips on designing a headstone from the experts at Gifford Monument!

Headstone Design Checklist

  • Familiarize yourself with the types of monuments – Before you even start to design a headstone, you need to know what type of monuments will be allowed on the gravesite. 
  • Know if your plot has a monument size requirement – Many grave plots will have a maximum or minimum size requirement. You need to know how big the monument has to be to plan your budget accurately.
  • Required emblems or engravings – It is not uncommon for cemeteries to require or prohibit specific emblems or engravings on monuments. Ensuring you know what those are will prevent you from spending the extra money to get something added or removed from the headstone. 
  • Can the marker have pictures? – Some of the most selected headstones include picture engravings. These typically turn out beautifully, but not all cemeteries allow them. If you want the monument you are designing to have pictures on it, be sure the cemetery will allow it.
  • Colors – Granite and bronze headstones come in all sorts of colors. However, some burial locations only allow specific colors. Be sure to check and see your desired color is permitted!

We understand how difficult a time like this can be, and we want to help you find the best way to memorialize your loved one. Visit one of our design centers in Ada and Ardmore, Oklahoma, Wylie, Texas, and Alamogordo, New Mexico to meet with one of our expert headstone designers to start the design process. You can also give us a call at (800) 256-1061 today or send us a message to learn more about Gifford Monument!  Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook to stay up-to-date with all of our latest information.


Nick Kurz