Before approving a new headstone design, check every name and date against your family records, review the exact lettering layout, and confirm the stone and base dimensions with the cemetery. Treat the proof as a document to review line by line. If anything is unclear, request a corrected version before authorizing carving.
Start with the inscription, not the overall appearance
Write out the intended inscription separately, then compare it with the proof character by character. Check middle names, initials, punctuation, accents, suffixes and the order of birth and death dates. Decide whether dates should use words or numbers and keep the format consistent. A familiar name can be easy to skim past, so ask another family member to review the same version independently.
For an epitaph, compare the entire wording, including where each line ends. Do not assume that wording in an earlier email automatically carries over to a revised drawing.
Check the whole memorial and its measurements
Ask the written proposal to identify the upright stone and base separately, including width, thickness and height. Confirm which face carries the inscription, whether a reverse inscription is included, and how any photograph, carving or symbol will be positioned. A screen image alone does not establish the physical size of the finished memorial.
Compare the proof with the proposed single, double or family headstone. If later inscriptions are planned, mark the reserved area on the drawing; our future-name planning guide covers that separate decision.
Family approval and cemetery approval are separate checks
Your family can approve the wording while the cemetery still needs to review the proposed work. As one local example, the City of Cambridge's monument installation guidance says the monument company forwards the order form after dimensions and engraving are finalized and approved. The city also requires the lot owner's signature and payment for the foundation before the monument is set. Those instructions concern Cambridge Cemetery; ask the actual cemetery about its own process. HeadstoneHub does not imply an affiliation with the city.
Include the cemetery name, town, section and lot information in your request. For a Massachusetts project elsewhere, use the relevant cemetery office rather than assuming that Cambridge's paperwork applies.
Keep one final version for approval
- Confirm the exact spelling and dates.
- Review line breaks, symbols and placement.
- Match material, finish and dimensions to the written quote.
- Identify any space reserved for later inscriptions.
- Confirm who obtains cemetery approval and what remains outstanding.
- Save the final drawing and written approval together.
If a correction changes the layout, review the complete revised proof again. A change to one line can affect the space around another.
How do I start a new memorial request?
Request a new memorial quote with the cemetery location, intended wording and any size requirements you have. We will review the location, scope and scheduling before confirming whether we can help. If you already have a stone and only need additional lettering, start with the cemetery lettering service instead.