Family Physician: A Friend to Depend On

Posted on: 30 December 2014

Grieving loved ones are no longer resigned to choosing between brass or granite cemetery markers. Today's memorial headstones, plaques and grave markers are as innovative as any new product can be. They are also as unique as the individual whom you wish to honor.

Here are 3 new kinds of cemetery memorials from places like Hart Monument Company to consider when selecting grave markers for your loved one who has passed:

1) Stainless steel headstones and accessories.

Some companies are creating headstones and grave markers constructed of tough, attractive stainless steel. These memorials can be finished in a polished or brushed surface or colored to meet cemetery guidelines.

You may order a lofty, elegant tombstone made of a combination of stainless steel and granite or order a simple flat ground marker made of metal. The strength and long lasting properties of the stainless steel make any of these markers a great investment.

These memorials are hollow, to enable inside lighting that illuminates the writing and the designs on the markers when the sun goes down. The hollow interior also allows you to leave documents and other mementos inside the marker.

Companies are also using stainless steel to create vases and other grave decorations such as roses, vehicles and animals. This allows for the personalization of graves with items made of very durable and attractive material.

2) Interactive headstones and markers.

Don't be surprised if you see a QR code stuck to a headstone next time you visit a cemetery. That little square links loved ones to a private website devoted to the loved one buried there. The web pages can include the person's obituary, personal memories of the loved one and family photographs and videos.

With families spread out all over the globe, having an interactive headstone attached to a website also helps remote family members read about their loved one who has passed and allows them to view the headstone. Faraway aunts, uncles and cousins can use a code to access the website.

The QR codes can be used to create interactive memorials on benches, plaques and markers in green cemeteries. They can be added to existing headstones as well.

3) Solar powered grave markers.

Since the first solar crosses appeared on the scene, cemetery memorial manufacturers have designed all manner of grave decorations that light up.

There are now angels, religious figures and flower vases that shine in the dark.

Models of animals, stars and lighthouses are available to make a burial site warmer and show some of the character of the loved one memorialized.

There are even waterproof, solar-lit picture frames that play music when visitors approach the grave.

You'll want to check with your cemetery regarding the use of these unique and innovative memorials before ordering. Each site will have its own rules regarding lights and decorations on graves.