Buying a Memorial
A monument is an important purchase and possibly the only permanent thing we will ever buy.
Most things we acquire are an everyday part of our lives; we are familiar with them and we usually know what we want. A monument, however,is usually a once-in-a-lifetime purchase of something most people know little about. For many, making this important purchase may not be an easy task, and if there is emotional involvement as well, it can be even more difficult.
We want to do everything we can to help make purchasing a monument a satisfying and fulfilling process.
Talking with a monument builder is certainly the fastest and easiest way to learn about monuments, and often that is all that is needed to acquire confidence in making the decisions that are exactly right for you.
However, anyone prone to feelings of”instant information overload” or “need-to-know-more” should take some extra time for research and reflection. With this in mind, the Making Choices section offers some basic decision-making information, and this Reference section has Monument Making as its first topic to provide some understanding of the monument crafting process.
General steps for purchasing a memorial
First, wait until you feel comfortable with the idea of purchasing a memorial. There is no need to rush to have a monument in place. Taking a few weeks or even a couple of months to help get things in perspective after a bereavement is perfectly all right and often a good idea.
When you are ready….
- If you have no idea of what you want, first take a quiet, observant walk in a cemetery or two. This may help settle things in your mind and offer a few ideas as to sizes, shapes, lettering styles and designs that you might like to pursue. A review of some of the photos of memorials we have presented might also be helpful in providing ideas. Be aware that many large cemeteries have special rules about monuments sizes, shapes and locations, and also about plots,accessories and plantings. Rural cemeteries tend to be less restrictive.
- Call upon a monument company representative to talk with you about monuments in general terms. This could be combined with a brief walk in a cemetery on a pleasant day. There should be no need to decide on specific details at this time; just an idea of colours,general costs, how things are done and answers to any questions that may arise.A good representative will be delighted to assist you this way, completely without obligation or expectation of selling.
- Take some time to think a bit; about who you are buying the memorial for and how it might best represent their memory, about how much involvement you might want in its design, about what future considerations should be made -perhaps for additional burials and names.
- Next step is to decide on the details, bearing in mind any cemetery restrictions. A visit with a monument sales representative is in order. At this point you can expect to develop a pretty good idea of what you might want and how much it should cost. Be sure to review our Buyer’s Checklist both before and after signing the purchase agreement.
- You should feel comfortable in being able to talk as long and as often as you want to a company representative or even the employees or the owner.Previous customers are also a good source of information.
Sometimes, just becoming a bit more knowledgeable about monuments can increase self-confidence in the buying process. That is part of what this website is for.