If you're making your own final arrangements or planning a funeral or memorial for a loved one, you probably already know how many details there are to think about. Your goal is to have a beautiful ceremony and memorial, but it's not uncommon to feel overwhelmed by the number of decisions that must be made.

Online shopping is the most logical choice for many who want to choose the right headstone. It's possible to browse through hundreds of designs or run a search for the features you know you want. Feel free to search anytime and browse our headstone designs.

What Kind of Headstones Are Available Online?

Just about anything you can imagine is available at our online headstone shop. In our pre-made section, we have a large variety of stones, including many different colors of granite. Measurements are included with several examples, making it easy to ensure that the stone you select meets the requirements of you or your loved one's cemetery. 

It is possible to find headstones for one or two people and a wide variety of other types of monuments. Gravestones, or so-called "flat" headstones, are also available.

If you can't find exactly what you want, or if you want a very specific shape or size, it is possible to have a custom-made headstone. Be aware that this process can take a little longer than pre-cut stones, but many customers who choose this option believe that the extra wait time is worth having a monument that will memorialize their loved ones for centuries.

How Can I Customize a Headstone Online?

Many people are surprised to learn they can choose any detail they want for their or their loved one's headstone. To start, the size and shape of the headstone can be specified to nearly anything. Our company has made a number of "extra" tall, wide, or thick headstones, as well as carved stones, to just about any shape imaginable. If a particular size or shape does not appear on the site, be sure to call or send us an email, and we'll be happy to set you up with a memorial consultant who can talk to you about your request.

Each headstone can be engraved with a personalized message, artwork, and their name and relevant birth and death dates. The customer must provide all of this information. If your headstone needs information added later, such as a joint headstone that will need a death date for the second person added in the future, it is possible to leave a blank area. In the future, our stonecutter, or one local to you, will be able to complete the work.

Custom artwork, including portraits, is one of the more popular options many ask for on headstones. Pictures and portraits can be etched onto any headstone, but the customer must supply the right files to our staff. Because there are usually some small differences between photographs and etched designs, all design work is sent to the customer for final approval before sending it to the workshop.

Of course, we caution our customers to check with their cemetery for size, color, or artwork restrictions before finalizing any order. Once a headstone order is finalized, there is no way to correct or do over an order.

How Do I Have a Headstone Delivered and Installed?

Once a headstone has been cut, it is shipped to the cemetery or memorial park where it will be placed. The staff of the park or cemetery usually carries out the placement. This separate arrangement is usually made as part of the final arrangements made with the funeral home. 

Be aware that there is often a delay of several weeks between when a headstone is ordered and when it is placed. This is the case no matter how or where the stone is ordered. It is necessary to ensure the ground is stable after a burial, which can take several weeks or months, depending on the location, soil conditions, and local weather patterns. The headstone is ordered, designed, cut, and shipped to its final destination during this time.

It's not uncommon for cemeteries to use temporary markers while waiting for a headstone to arrive. However, once it has arrived, placement will usually take several days to several weeks. This timetable is wholly dependent on the rules of the memorial park. Sometimes, headstones are all placed on the same day, while other parks place them one by one as they arrive.

If you're considering ordering a headstone or other memorial marker online, visit us at Quiring Monuments. Our staff has years of experience helping customers select the proper headstone for them or their loved ones. Feel free to browse our selection from the privacy of your own home, then give us a call or send us an email if you have any questions.