Have you always dreamed of having a stately memorial, like a mausoleum, where your family can be laid to rest together only to discover the cost to be out of your budget? The good news is mausoleums aren’t the only option for family burials.
Estate monuments—also referred to as family monuments—are large memorials that serve as the focal point of an area where three or more loved ones are buried. Not only are they an affordable alternative to a mausoleum, but they can also be custom made in any shape, size and color to commemorate your family for years to come.
Estate monuments can be designed in a specific architectural style or can be themed around something that was important to the family. If you walk around your local cemetery, you’ll likely see a range of monuments from simple stones with the family’s last name to something more unique with custom etchings, sculptures or benches.
Some families choose to include sculptures like animals, angels or saints to accompany the monument. Others showcase things that were most important to them in life, like a sport or hobby (for example, a musical instrument).
Estate monuments are sometimes paired with grave ledgers, which are stone slabs that mark each grave. Grave ledgers can be small or large, with larger versions ideal for listing large amounts of information about the loved ones (hobbies, accomplishments, etc.) as well as photos and one-of-a-kind images.
The starting price point for a family monument is typically around $8,000—well below the starting price of $250,000 for a walk-in mausoleum. Just like any other monument, estate monuments vary in cost based on several factors, including:
Not all estate monuments are made the same. To ensure your family receives the best quality estate monument, consider the following checklist before choosing a memorial provider.
Milano Monuments invites you to visit our Cleveland showroom and design center to see examples of monuments we have built or browse our website to view monuments we have erected in cemeteries across Northeastern Ohio. To schedule an appointment, in person or online, with one of our memorial design specialists, call 216-362-1199 or schedule an appointment online.