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 I often receive emails with the first line in the email asking something like, “How much are the X, Y, Z monuments on your website?” That question is an excellent starting point, and it is also good that the prospective client has contacted a well-educated professional who has more than two decades of teaching experience.
There are many details that a prospective buyer should provide, before deciding on and finalizing the right monument for a loved one or themselves. We are dedicated to helping you make the perfect choice, so please respect our time and develop a relationship with us based upon mutual courtesy and trust. We have the best of intentions for our clients and we seek to start and finish with a win-win for both sides of our relationship. Therefore, there is specific information that we request you provide when purchasing a memorial:
Contact Information: Provide your name, mailing address, email, and phone and fax information so we can contact you.
We need your personal information to facilitate communication and confidence building.
Basic Burial Information Is Needed: It is imperative that you provide all basic information including the name of the deceased, your relationship to the deceased, dates of birth and death of the deceased, location of burial, name, address and phone number for the cemetery, et cetera. Was the deceased a veteran? Hobbyist? Collector? Favorite color? Favorite song? Love animals? Winner of awards? What made this person unique? Names of grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren?
Our Values: We value a win-win relationship with all of our clients.
Furthermore, here are some other helpful guidelines when buying a memorial:
1. Design: Which design? For us to provide you with a complete design, we will need the names, dates of birth and death, hobbies, occupations, favorite colors, and characteristics that made your loved ones unique. We offer our clients over 100,000 color and design options, so give us as much information as possible for maximum long-term satisfaction.
2. Size: What size? Length x Width x Height? If you do not know, decide if you are looking for a small memorial, or an estate memorial, also known as an heirloom memorial.
3. Price Range: What price range? We can produce outstanding memorials in the price range of $3,500 to $8,000, though there are many options that are less expensive, as well as many that are more expensive. Inform the monument builder of your budget. Be honest, so that we can present choices within your price range.
4. Stone Color: What color of granite or marble do you desire? Blue-gray granite is usually the least expensive choice. Today, many folks prefer colors to express their individuality. Be forewarned that there are over 300 granite colors, and not all colors are the same in terms of quality. You want a memorial to look good both now, and years from now too.
5. Photos: Do you desire a photo of your loved one on the memorial? We recommend photos made with high-quality porcelain with metal backing to add strength with ultraviolet protection, which assures that your photo will never fade.
6. Family History Plaque: Do you want your family story to be known 100 years from now by folks who visit your loved one’s grave? We have experts on staff who will assist you to tell the story of your loved one.
7. Cemetery Rules: We will need to obtain a copy of the cemetery rules. Please provide us with the name, address, telephone, email, or fax number for the cemetery custodian. We will need this information so we can calculate shipping costs to the cemetery. Cemetery rules will determine what you can and cannot do. For example, in a flat marker section, you are probably limited to flat markers.
8. Who Are We Memorializing? Who is this memorial for? Your husband, wife, father, mother, parents? What are the names you would like on the memorial? Long names on a small memorial may create a challenge for the memorial designer. We recommend that the maiden name of the wife be on the memorial for genealogical research.
9. Single, Double or Family Memorial: How many folks are you seeking to memorialize? Is this memorial for one person, two, or for an entire family?
10. Mausoleum: Are you interested in a mausoleum?
11. Cremation: Cremation bench or other memorial?
12. Epitaph: Do you know the epitaph you desire on the memorial?
13. Knowledge: Inform us of what you know thus far. If you have spoken with other monument builders, please let us know what they have told you and what you liked and did not like about their suggestions. There is a lot of bad information floating around, and you might want a second opinion from a true professional.
14. Preparation: We recommend that you study our website. We believe it is one of the finest resources anywhere. If you do not see what you desire, ask us for other options. We have thousands of photos that are not posted online.
We recommend that you read our articles that may be found at http://www.valdostamemorials.com/articles/articles.asp.
Review our many monument designs at http://www.valdostamemorials.com/monuments/monuments.asp.
Study the terminology of monument builders at http://www.valdostamemorials.com/terms.asp. Perhaps you will see features that you would like to add to a memorial.
Together, we will help you design an heirloom memorial that will honor your loved one for the ages.
Please note that we sell other memorial products as part of our full-service approach to memorialization including: oil paintings; engraved rock; monuments; mausoleums; memorials; silk flowers; memorial flags and flag poles; business signs; temporary granite and synthetic memorials; lawn novelties; etched and porcelain photos; family history writing and plaques; monument cleaning and restoration; bronze memorials; laser etchings; memorial design and preneed planning; obituary editing; family history forms and guidance; solar crosses and solar angels; solar flag lights; art stone; pet memorials; engraved walking stones; cremation urns; military and civic memorials; corner stones and more!
If you are interested in any of those products, please inform us so we can assist you. We have more than 150 articles on our website with many helpful tips on memorialization.
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