Headstones Designer - Design & Order Grave Headstone online

Laser Etched
Black Granite Headstone

Create your custom laser-etched black granite headstone online. Simply upload your image, add your inscriptions, and adjust the sizes to meet your cemetery's requirements.

Explore Headstones Designs

Learn how to design a Headstone on-line

Laser Etched
Black Granite Headstone

Create Your Custom Laser-Etched Black Granite Headstone Online. Upload Your Image, Add Inscriptions, and Adjust Sizes to Meet Cemetery Regulations.

Our laser-etched black granite headstones are crafted to complement our selection of funerary products. They meet the needs of customers who prefer to honor their loved ones with a traditional material for their memorial.

Traditional Engraved
Headstone

Create your custom traditional engraved granite headstone online. Simply upload your image, add your inscriptions, and adjust the sizes to meet your cemetery's requirements.

Our classic granite and sandstone headstones are crafted to complement our selection of funerary products. They cater to customers who prefer to honor their loved ones with traditional materials for their memorials.

Tips for Buying a Headstone

When selecting a Headstone, consider these helpful tips to make the process easier:

The total cost of a headstone depends on several factors, including its size, material, lettering, artwork, inlays, customization options, and any additional accessories like flower pots or memorial lights.

The first step is to review the cemetery regulations regarding the permitted size and type of headstone

Some cemeteries limit the types of materials allowed, such as granite or bronze
Check if the cemetery has a recommended installer.

A qualified installer should have the appropriate insurance, and the installation must meet the cemetery's regulations to ensure its durability
Your options for materials may be restricted when buying from a cemetery stone mason or the cemetery itself.

Granite headstones are preferred by many buyers because they are durable, easy to maintain, and can be laser-engraved
Compare Prices: Buying a Headstone Can Be Costly.

Many online manufacturers provide automatic price calculations with no hidden fees, and many also offer free shipping. Always make purchases through secure websites. You can identify these sites by looking for the ‘lock’ symbol in the address bar and by using trusted payment methods like Stripe or PayPal.

Tips for Designing and Buying a Headstone

Technological advancements in the memorial industry have greatly expanded customer options. Forever Shining enables you to design your headstone from the comfort of your home, offering unique, original, and contemporary memorial designs.

Grave Headstones

Gravestones and Memorials

At some point, everyone experiences the painful reality of losing a loved one. It's a loss that no one can fully prepare for or know how to handle. One meaningful way to honor the deceased and celebrate their life is by holding a burial or remembrance ceremony. Additionally, creating a lasting memorial in a place of reflection can provide comfort and serve as a tribute to their journey.

This ceremony is our final chance to gather and say goodbye to our loved one. We dedicate time to planning and organizing a service that honors their memory and reflects the pride they would have felt.

Since ancient times, we have honored our loved ones who have passed away, treating their remains with care and burying them in meaningful locations. As modern religions emerged, many chose places of worship and their surrounding grounds as final resting spots. However, as these areas became overcrowded, cemeteries were established in suburban regions to accommodate the growing need.

Today, funeral companies provide a diverse range of services and options. Families can choose from various styles of ceremonies, including original and highly personalized tributes. The designs of graves and the materials used in their construction are evolving, incorporating both modern and traditional elements. This allows family members to create a lasting and unique memorial for their loved ones.

Many companies offer a variety of grave markers for customers. However, the terminology can be confusing. Words like headstones, memorials, tombstones, gravestones, and monuments are often used interchangeably. Today, the size of a memorial no longer indicates a person's wealth or social status.

Designs and carvings have evolved to embody contemporary values. Today, carved symbols often feature more uplifting themes, such as angels and floral patterns. The use of durable granite not only ensures that inscriptions remain clear over time but also comes in a variety of colors and is more affordable.

Granite is renowned for its timeless beauty, making it an ideal choice for memorials honoring those we've lost. In contrast, materials like marble, sandstone, and cement are becoming less popular due to their vulnerability to weather conditions.

When designing a memorial, it's important to consider how it will honor the life of your loved one. The most traditional option is an upright stone headstone. Alternatively, a flat marker can either sit level with the ground or be slightly elevated.

Kerbed headstones are an excellent choice for customers seeking a unique memorial. Their larger size provides ample space for personal expression, making them ideal for custom designs. Grave sites can be configured for single, double, or multiple burials, with memorials tailored to fit each arrangement.

BBronze, similar to granite, is recognized for its strength, durability, and low maintenance. While bronze grave markers are both long-lasting and elegant, they tend to be quite costly.

Elegant stainless steel headstones are gaining popularity. Their polished mirror finish adds a touch of beauty. Modern memorials can feature designs that include photographic images, laser engraving, glass, vitreous enamel, and personalized motifs.

You can include text in the memorial design, which is a crucial element. It's important that the wording is clear and durable. Traditional hand engraving can be used to inscribe text on granite, but this method charges by the letter, making it potentially costly. A more affordable option is laser engraving, which offers a wide variety of long-lasting and visually appealing fonts. Additionally, memorial plaques can be attached to headstones. These plaques can be made from bronze, ceramics, or vitreous enamel, but they require regular cleaning to prevent oxidation.

Add Your Inscriptions to the Headstone online

The shape of a headstone can be an integral part of its personalized design. Modern headstones can take on any shape, including angels, cars, motorbikes, and teddy bears.

Our goal is to help you plan a personal ceremony that beautifully honors your loved one’s story. We are committed to ensuring that the grave marker you create serves as a fitting tribute, representing their life and legacy.

Personalizing Headstones

Headstones Reflecting Hobbies

Losing a loved one is an incredibly painful experience. Those who are grieving often find themselves facing funeral arrangements, which may be a new and daunting task. The planning and decision-making during this time of sorrow can feel overwhelming.

After the ceremony, family and close friends should focus on honoring the deceased by creating a meaningful memorial. This lasting tribute serves as a final gift to a loved one, so it’s important to carefully consider the design.

Cover of a catalog of Headstones and Monuments set designs

Regardless of the design's simplicity, emotions and personal sentiments can be captured, creating lasting memories. However, tastes and styles evolve over time. Today, monument companies offer much more than traditional headstones. Modern memorial manufacturers empower customers to design personalized grave markers that truly reflect the life of their loved ones. Thanks to technological advancements, memorials can now showcase the character, interests, and hobbies of the deceased.

Many companies provide catalogs of customizable designs, allowing customers to modify them to their preferences, with prices adjusted accordingly. The cost of a memorial varies based on its size, shape, inscription, and chosen materials, as well as any additional accessories like flower pots. Additionally, a diverse selection of motifs—such as animals, sports symbols, or flowers—can be added to personalize the grave marker.

Some companies offer a more personalized service, allowing customers to actively participate in the design process. These unique designs can be tailored to fit various budgets, making them accessible to everyone. Reputable modern memorial companies can help even those with limited creativity create something truly special and individual.

Grave markers can take on any shape. For example, a passionate football fan might choose a memorial shaped like a football, their favorite team’s crest, or a trophy. Similarly, markers can be designed to resemble a dream car or motorcycle.

Music enthusiasts can be honored with a stunning headstone designed in the shape of a guitar.

These memorials are striking and are ideal for honoring those whose lives were deeply influenced by music.

Incorporating the lyrics of the departed's favorite song into the inscription can enhance the design.

Headstones can be crafted in the shape of different animals. This unique option allows individuals who cherish animals or want to honor a beloved pet to be remembered in a special way.

You can choose an animal to symbolize the character of the deceased. For example, a horse-shaped headstone represents freedom, strength, and happiness, making it a fitting tribute for someone who was brave and full of life.

Book-shaped headstones are a popular choice. Their elegant design beautifully symbolizes our earthly journey. Unfortunately, some stories end unexpectedly and far too soon.

Creating a memorial for a baby or child can be particularly challenging. While the process is deeply emotional, grave markers can still celebrate the love and joy that the young life brought to others. Designs for children often capture the innocence and purity of their youth.

Favorite characters, toys, and teddy bears are popular choices for children's memorial designs. These markers, associated with warm memories, can help ease family visits to the gravesite. They create a sense that the departed child is comforted by something familiar and meaningful from their short life, while waiting to be reunited with their family in the future.

British theologian Richard Hooker once remarked, “Consider your child not as dead, but as alive; not as a flower that has withered, but as one that has been transplanted and, touched by a Divine hand, is now blooming in richer colors and sweeter shades than those found on earth.”

If you seek a unique design that isn’t overly personal, consider a heart-shaped marker. This shape beautifully symbolizes love for the departed and serves as a universal representation of affection for both men and women.

Monument companies offer memorials that meet the regulations set by local cemeteries. Keep in mind that some cemeteries impose restrictions on size, materials, shapes, and colors. Trustworthy monument providers can verify these regulations for you or help guide you through the process.

The departed loved one was truly one of a kind. While a traditional headstone may seem like an easy option, does it really capture the essence of their life and personality? A distinctive headstone honors a unique life.

Styles of European Headstones

European Headstones

Every country boasts its unique beauty, history, and culture, all of which are significantly influenced by religion. Each faith encompasses not only beliefs but also specific rites and rituals that followers must observe. Adhering to these practices, whether in prayer or during significant ceremonies like weddings and funerals, is essential. This principle also applies to the ways we remember and honor those who have passed.

Keeping this in mind, we will explore the various styles of headstones commonly found across different European countries. Poland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France primarily practice Protestantism and Catholicism. In the United Kingdom, the population is mainly divided between Catholicism and the Church of England. Meanwhile, nearly half of Russia's population follows the Russian Orthodox Church.

Spanish Headstones

A defining aspect of Spanish funeral traditions is the use of large memorial stones, known as "lápidas," which resemble towering walls with compartments for coffins. The graves are enclosed with bricks, and plaques featuring inscriptions adorn the front of these walls. This burial style limits the use of accessories like flower pots or candles, although small shelves or vases are integrated into the design for holding modest bouquets. Notably, many plaques are engraved with the crests of popular Spanish football teams, such as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Italian Headstones

In older Italian cemeteries, you'll find many chapels, monuments, and large headstones. In contrast, modern cemeteries now use 'burial walls' similar to those in Spain. This shift has led to a space shortage in Italian cemeteries, which are filled with 'burial blocks' that feature designated 'drawers' for coffins. Most inscriptions on Italian plaques typically include only the first and last names of the deceased, along with their birth and death dates. Occasionally, you'll see inlaid pictures and small vases for flowers attached to the plaques.

French Headstones

French cemeteries showcase some of the most original and elegant headstone designs. In addition to traditional headstones and crosses, French funeral monument companies offer a diverse array of personalized options. Recently, the market has seen a surge in unique designs that are both vibrant and colorful. Many headstones now feature images that resemble the wallpapers we choose for our desktops. While these high-tech and tasteful visuals can be striking, they also spark debate. Some people feel these memorials are inappropriate, arguing that funerals should be solemn occasions that honor the pain of loss. Meanwhile, distinctive book-shaped plaques with dedications and photographs of the deceased are becoming increasingly popular.

Polish Headstones

Poland is recognized as one of the most traditional and religious countries in Europe. Its cemeteries feature a variety of gravestones that often share similar designs, differing mainly in details like finish and inscription. The most prevalent type of memorial in Poland is the kerbed headstone, also known as a ledger marker, which can be either single or double. Many Poles prefer to be buried alongside family members, leading to a growing trend toward family tombs. Given Poland's weather conditions, gravestones are typically made from durable granite. Many graves are adorned with vibrant flowers and candles. While cremation is becoming more accepted, it remains less common, and cremation memorials generally follow traditional styles.

German Headstones

Cemetery in Germany with germans headstones style

Grave markers in Germany differ significantly from region to region. Germans are known for their bold and creative memorial designs. These memorials are crafted from a variety of materials, including different types of stone, glass, and steel. They come in numerous shapes and styles. While candles and artificial flowers are rarely seen in German cemeteries, lanterns filled with holy water are common. In older cemeteries in southern Germany, you can find many wrought-iron crosses. In other areas, crucifixes are typically made of wood, while some regions feature large plaques with mantel shelves. Modern German designs tend to be minimalist, often featuring only the name, last name, and birth and death dates of the deceased. In the past, additional details such as profession and marital status were also included.

English Headstones

In the United Kingdom, grave markers have traditionally offered a wide variety of options. However, over time, space constraints have limited their size and design. The most common burial marker today is the lawn-type grave, favored by cemeteries for its low maintenance requirements, as it simplifies mowing around graves. Additionally, lawn markers are smaller and more affordable, helping to lower funeral costs. The growing popularity of cremation has also influenced the market, leading to an increase in cremation monuments. Despite these trends, traditional grave markers remain available in the UK. The most popular choices include headstones, flat tablets, upright headstones, and cremation memorials. Recent designs have become more personalized, with inscriptions that provide greater detail about the deceased. Families often choose to include poems, quotes, or even song lyrics, making each memorial unique and meaningful.

In conclusion, religion, culture, economics, social history, and weather all influence the types of gravestones that are popular in each European country. Additionally, advancements in technology within the memorial industry are shaping designs and providing customers with more options.