Purchasing a permanent memorial for the final disposition of your remains (whether you choose burial or cremation) provides several benefits.
Why Prepaid Permanent Memorialization Matters
Peace of Mind
Purchasing a permanent memorial in advance allows you to plan and make arrangements for your final resting place, providing you and your loved ones peace of mind. It relieves the burden of decision-making during grief and ensures that your last wishes are respected.
Special Place to Reflect
Cemeteries and memorial gardens offer a special place for family and friends to gather and pay their respects. Planning and purchasing a permanent memorial is a thoughtful way to honor family members for generations.
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Inflation-proof Savings
Permanent memorialization prices increase over time. Selecting a memorial type and location at today’s prices can be more cost-effective because prepayment helps you avoid potential price increases in the future.
Customization Options
Many cemeteries and cremation gardens offer customization options, allowing you to personalize your final resting place. This may include options such as choosing a specific type of headstone, adding a monument or memorial, or landscaping the area around your burial or inurnment site. Purchasing in advance allows you to plan and customize these details according to your preferences.
Religious and Other Considerations
Selecting permanent memorialization in advance allows you to choose a final resting place per your beliefs. Memorial parks typically have separate sections for specific religions and for veterans. Space is limited, so prearranging ensures your wishes are fulfilled.
Also, purchasing permanent memorialization in advance lets you choose the exact location within the cemetery or cremation area. It might be near a loved one or in a peaceful, serene space that you find appealing.
Family Estate
You might be interested in creating a private family estate or mausoleum. Choosing a permanent memorial space for yourself, your spouse, and your children makes preplanning smoother and less stressful for everyone. Many families find comfort in a shared final resting place.
Perpetual Care
Many cemeteries offer perpetual care services, which may include maintenance and upkeep of the plot, including landscaping, grave site restoration, and general maintenance. By purchasing your permanent memorialization in advance, you ensure perpetual care services, helping to maintain its appearance and condition over time.
Eight Tips To Make Purchasing Memorialization Easier
Buying a permanent memorial might not be as enjoyable as buying a new car or shoe shopping, but here are eight tips to make it less stressful.
#1. Before deciding on a final resting place, determine whether you want a casket burial, interment, or cremation. Cremation offers even more choices than traditional burial, including cremation gardens, columbariums, pedestals, private family cremation estates, and memorial parks. You’ll find many memorial styles, sizes, and shapes within those categories.
#2. Research the cemetery and ask family, friends, and funeral professionals for recommendations. Look for a cemetery with a good reputation, excellent maintenance, and specific offerings vital to you, such as a section dedicated to veterans. Choose a cemetery that is conveniently located for family members.
#3. Ask for a tour. Notice if there are regulations or restrictions about grave markers and headstones. Find out what the cemetery’s policy is about grave decorations. Do they allow fresh and artificial plants and flowers, or only one kind? Doing some research in advance helps family members avoid unfortunate consequences.
#4. Find out if you must purchase burial, cremation, and markers from a specific provider. Ensure you understand height and size requirements, such as double or unusually tall markers.
#5. If you choose cremation, ask about available options for burial or inurnment. Some memorial parks have public or community columbariums; others only offer private niches. Find out the requirements if you choose cremation and want to be buried in a traditional plot.
#6. Ask about incentives or available discounts. Would a price break exist if you and your spouse purchased permanent memorialization simultaneously? Would the cemetery honor a coupon from a competitor?
#7. What is the cemetery’s policy for tours and public events? Some memorial parks sponsor or host ceremonies such as wreath-laying or placing flags on Memorial Day. These events could impact your decision.
#8. Consult a lawyer if you are buying a family plot. You want to properly document ownership and transfer of the plot to avoid legal issues.
Permanent Memorialization Is a Personal Choice
Making plans for your funeral, buying a cemetery plot, or cremation memorial, are deeply personal choices. It is not easy to face our mortality, but even some preplanning is better than leaving everything for your family to decide after you’re gone.
A ShareLife family care advisor is available to listen to your concerns and answer your questions. You would be surprised at permanent memorials’ variety, quality, and affordability. Ask your hometown ShareLife funeral provider for more details, or click here for our free preplanning guide.