When a loved one passes away, it feels like there are endless decisions we must make. What was their preferred final disposition method? Did they want a funeral or memorial? Where is their preferred final resting place?
Selecting a memorial is one of the many important decisions a family makes. A memorial represents a life lived, a physical tribute to the uniqueness of your loved one.
While there are many steps that go into selecting a memorial—such as the style, the design, and personalization options—one factor that can impact all of those considerations is the location. Continue reading below as we explore why the location of a memorial matters.
It Is Where Generations Will Gather for Years to Come
When we think about memorialization, we often envision a cemetery. But as cremation rates continue to rise and more families choose less traditional options, it’s apparent that families can memorialize their loved ones anywhere.
Consider the following when selecting a place to honor and remember a loved one:
- Recognize the final resting place. If a burial is taking place—either a traditional burial or one involving an urn—it’s important to mark this place in a meaningful way. Memorialization offers endless personalization options, from the type of memorial (e.g. headstone, mausoleum, memorial bench) to the unique characteristics (e.g. color, etchings, engravings, lettering).
- Find a special place of significance. Did your loved one visit the same coffee shop every weekend? Did they take a stroll through a specific park on the first day of spring? Places that remind you of them—a favorite park, restaurant, golf course or garden—can certainly serve as a memorialization location.
- Continue existing or create new family traditions. Family traditions make us feel whole, but when we lose a loved one, it’s easy to feel like we can’t carry them on the same. Consider continuing storied family traditions in a meaningful location, or create a new family traditions in a place that reminds you of your lost loved one. While this might be at the final resting place, it could be a new location for your family and friends to gather each year to pay respects.
Most importantly, choose a place that is meaningful. After all, it’s where your family and future generations will gather to honor and remember your loved one.
The Location Could Impact the Design You Choose
If your family choses to memorialize your loved one in a cemetery, you’ll need to consider the cemetery’s rules and regulations. Many cemeteries—including those in Northeast Ohio—have guidelines you must follow when designing a memorial.
We created the Northeast Ohio Cemetery Memorial Guide, which lists the regulations and fees associated with 40+ cemeteries across the Cleveland area and beyond. You might be surprised at the differences. Click here to access the guide.
The most common cemetery regulations include the minimum and maximum size of the memorial. Other regulations might include:
- The type of memorial, including lawn-level, bevel, slant or upright stones.
- The type of stone, including granite or bronze.
- The size of the burial plot, like single or companion.
We highly recommend families work with a memorial provider that knows the ins and outs of your cemetery’s regulations. The worst-case scenario is that you have a design in mind for a memorial, then find out your cemetery won’t permit it.
The Location Might Impact the Cost
As mentioned above, most cemeteries have rules and regulations around the memorials permitted.
For instance, you may select an ideal cemetery for you, but later find out that its rules and regulations require a certain memorial size, type or material. What the cemetery permits may not include what you had in mind.
Additionally, most cemeteries also charge a fee to have a memorial placed on their grounds. The placement fee differs by cemetery, and also by the memorial’s size—so that cost might impact your decision.
You can explore the rules and regulations, as well as the associated placement fees, of 40+ Northeast Ohio cemeteries here.
Uncover More Tips About Designing a Memorial
A memorial or monument is a lasting symbol that honors and celebrates the life of a lost loved one. Download our Headstone Design Guide to learn what questions to ask before purchasing a memorial, as well as headstone design tips and options.
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