COVID-19 Update: Our industry is currently experiencing a higher demand for our services, and as a result our response & production times are slower than normal. Please click on the links below us to schedule an appointment so that we can assist you with your memorial needs.
Creating the Perfect Memorial: The Process, from Idea to Installation
STEP 1 - DECIDE THE STORY YOU'D LIKE TO TELL
Before you arrive at our office, begin thinking of the story you intend to tell with this memorial. Think of special experiences, phrases, hobbies, personal attributes and life’s accomplishments unique to this individual. Also consider what you would like future generations to know. Once you’ve begun piecing together this story, begin thinking about this story can be told through a memorial. We recommend walking through the cemetery in which they are laid to rest, or browsing our gallery, to get an idea of how others have told stories through their monuments.
STEP 2 - SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT & PROVIDE US WITH BASIC INFORMATION
Contact us via e-mail, our website, or phone to schedule an appointment with us. During your initial communication, please provide us with a few pieces of information, like the number of people this memorial is intended for, the cemetery in which this monument will be installed, and monument styles or granite colors that appeal to you. This helps us to prepare for our appointment by verifying cemetery requirements and having examples and pricing available for you, which enables our first meeting to be streamlined and productive.
STEP 3 - CREATE PRELIMINARY DESIGN IN OUR OFFICE, AND GO TO CONTRACT
It is during our first appointment that we take the story you’d like to tell (Step 1) and consider how our material, color, size, shape, design, and lettering options allow us to create a unique and fitting memorial. We take into consideration the budget you have set aside for this project, as well as grave space limitations and requirements specific to each Cemetery. With all this in mind, we create our first draft of the design and sign a contract indicating our joint interest in bringing this memorial from concept to completion. We take a 50% deposit at this point, which will move us to the professional design stage.
STEP 4 - REVIEW, REVISE, & APPROVE TO-SCALE PRODUCTION DRAWINGS
Within 5-10 business days of creating the first draft in our office and signing a contract, we will e-mail you a professionally drafted to-scale production drawing. This drawing shows you exactly how the various elements of the monument – the name, dates, emblems, and other design options – relate to each other. This production drawing will indicate monument dimensions and give you an idea of the size and proportion of the design. If the design looks perfect as it is, we are ready to begin production. If adjustments and revisions need to be made, we continue to provide as many to-scale production drawings as needed, each reflecting your suggestions, until we get the design just right. Once we have your approval, we ask for the remaining 50% deposit, and then release the monument into production.
STEP 5 - GIVE US TIME TO PRODUCE & INSTALL YOUR MEMORIAL
Depending on the style of monument, we will have your monument produced, shipped, and installed in 2-8 months. We pride ourselves on being one of the more affordable and fastest providers of Matthews Bronze Memorials, and will have these installed in 4-8 weeks. Our granite monuments, depending on the complexity of the design and granite type, take between 16-36 weeks. We will coordinate the installation with our contact at the cemetery, who will have the space flagged off for us in advance. After installation our crew will take photos of the job, and our office staff will call to inform you the work has been completed.