Getting Started
When your family decides to purchase a memorial monument, you will be making decisions that will endure for generations. Very often, those decisions represent the varied wishes and opinions of family members. At Graystone Monuments, our family is available to help guide you through the fundamental decisions involved in creating a memorial that represents what is important to your family.
Step One: Cemetery Regulations
Contact the cemetery to determine the requirements and regulations for your plot location. Many cemeteries have monument size and shape requirements based on the number of plots a family owns and the location of the plots within the cemetery. Some cemeteries have special areas (i.e. baby sections) that only allow specific colors of granite, while others require bronze markers. If you would like assistance, feel free to contact us.
Step Two: Ordering the Monument Stone
Based on what the cemetery will allow, we work together to select a monument size, shape, color, and any accessories (typically vases and portraits) that fits your family’s budget.
When you select the stone, we have all of the information that is needed to start the process of ordering the stone from the quarry. When you authorize the purchase, a 50% down payment is made and the stone is ordered from the quarry.
Step Three: Designing the Memorial Monument
If you already know what design elements are to be engraved on the stone, you can provide us instructions when you initially make a down payment. If you are not sure, don’t worry, we can work with you on the design while waiting for the stone to arrive from the quarry.
There are a variety of ways to develop a design:
- Review photos of our previous work
- Review pictures of previous monuments made by Graystone Monuments
- Visit your local cemeteries and take pictures of monuments that you like
- Or you could just come by our shop and brainstorm design ideas
Whenever you are ready, come visit us at the shop and let us help you through the process.