Making your loved one’s memorial both personal and unique is an important aspect of remembering his or her life. These days, many ways exist to do just that. 

If you're looking for inspiration or ideas for your memorial you can visit our headstones gallery and browse some of our completed monuments.

Below are five ways to make a memorial reflect the life of your loved one.

1. QR Codes:When scanned with wireless mobile devices, QR codes take users to specific websites. Now, QR codes are placed on memorials and can lead viewers to a website dedicated to sharing stories, photos, and more of the deceased. Since space on memorials is limited, information about loved ones can be shared by utilizing QR codes to enrich the gravesite experience.

2. Engraving / Artwork: A more traditional way to personalize memorials, engraving and artwork can reflect the unique design and style preferences of your loved one. Whether it is ornate and elaborate carvings or a simple and minimalistic design, engraving and artwork help permanently preserve your loved one’s personality.

3. Photos / Emblems: Photos and emblems also greatly enhance the personalized nature of memorials. By providing photographs of your loved one at various stages in life, or by using symbols that are meaningful and significant to him or her, photos and emblems can tell even more of your loved one’s story.

4. Epitaph:Probably the most historic way to personalize memorials, epitaphs are short texts inscribed directly onto memorials. Epitaphs can feature words or phrases from religious texts, well-known cultural sayings or expressions, favorite quotations of or from the deceased, and more. In addition, some epitaphs summarize the life of the deceased, while others speak directly to readers, encouraging them to reflect—for example—on their own mortality.

5. Special Features: It’s also possible to include special features on your loved one’s memorial. These features include unique flower vases, decorative bronze inlays, various panel styles, and more. Like the above four ways to personalize memorials, special features can also help retain the memory of your loved one.

With the possibilities available in these five ways of personalizing your loved one’s memorial it’s never been easier to permanently preserve, accurately remember, and rightfully celebrate the life of your loved one.