The celebration of a birthday or wedding anniversary for a loved one who has recently passed away is always a difficult time for the loved ones left behind. By marking this special occasion with a headstone decoration in the shape of an angel, you can place a special memento close to your loved one.

These wonderful aluminum headstone decorations are weather-proof and simply hook over the top of the headstone. One of our favorite products is the angel. The word angel is derived from the Greek word “angelos” which means “messenger”.

Some believe that angels carry messages from this world to the next for us. Whatever you believe, this beautiful decoration “sends your message of love” out to all who see it gracing the headstone of your dearly departed.

Each angel decoration is crafted using the process of sand casting; allowing for each piece to be unique. These unique decorations are available in our online store and will make a precious remembrance next time you visit the cemetery.

So let our little angel “messenger” watch over your loved one’s last resting place and be a testimony of your love and special day celebration.

Solar Cross

Softly glowing lighted sentinels that light the way to your loved one’s grave, illuminated grave markers provide gentle comfort to families. An increasingly popular way to pay tribute to our loved ones, solar light grave markers come in a variety of comforting choices including the lovely ethereal Solar Light Angel, the bright white Solar Light Cross, the Inspirational Solar Bible, the beautifully colored Memorial Flag, the popular Solar Light Yellow Ribbon and the very personal Solar Light Photograph Display that allows families to display a lighted picture of their loved one on top of the headstone. All illuminated grave markers are powered by discrete energy-efficient solar light panels that in no way distract from their beauty.

Light has been an important element of funeral rites and burial customs for centuries. Primitive tribes feared death and believed it was brought about by evil spirits. In many cultures, bodies were burned in funeral pyres to excise evil spirits from the dead and protect the living.

In other cultures, fire was believed to light the way to the next world. The spirits of their dead were believed to ascend to the next world on the smoke of funeral pyres. A vestige of those ancient customs can be found in the candle lighting practiced by many modern religions and cultures to honor the dead.

Memorial Cairn

Flowers aren’t for everyone. The ancient Celts marked graves with cairns, stacks of rocks and stones of varying size from near boulders to small pebbles. Many cairns seen in Scotland, Wales and Ireland are conical but some are tall precarious towers of stacked rocks that seem to defy the laws of gravity. Over the centuries the building of cairns has been a time-honored way to memorialize the dead.

During the Bronze Age, large cairns containing burial cists, stone coffins, were built throughout the United Kingdom. Usually built on a hill above the deceased’s village, cairns served as both memorial and reminder of the deceased. A freeform tombstone marking an individual’s passing, the pile of stones may have served to discourage grave robbers or keep dead souls from escaping. In Scottish tradition, rocks were carried from the bottom of the hill to the cairn at the top, the cairn growing in size as each visitor added another rock to the pile.

It is tradition for each person passing by a cairn to add a stone. Stones must be added to the top of the cairn and be smaller than the stone upon which it is placed. Not only does the habit counteract the effects of weathering; but when the cairn marks a grave, adding a stone is considered a sign of respect. In keeping with cairn tradition, The Gravesite Masters can arrange to mark a loved one’s grave with a memorial rock or boulder, a timeless tribute and the beginning of a cairn to commemorate your loved one.

We all find it disturbing to visit a cemetery and see unattended graves. No one likes to imagine their final resting place will be lonely and abandoned. That’s why families will visit and place fresh flowers on graves. They also will make efforts to ensure that the grave and the surrounding area is well maintained.

However, with increasingly busy schedules we might find it difficult to regularly visit our loved one’s gravesite. This is especially true when the cemetery is located somewhere that is difficult to get to (this situation is exacerbated for senior citizens who have lost a spouse and find it hard to travel to the cemetery).

Fortunately, Grave Concerns makes tending the gravesite much easier to do. Even if you live across the country, you can use their services and products to beautify the deceased’s grave. For example, if you discover that your loved one’s tombstone is weather-worn or covered with moss, Grave Concerns can send an expert Gravesite Master Professional to restore and clean the tombstone.

Of course, simply placing fresh flowers or other beautifying ornaments by the grave is something that can easily be arranged with just a few clicks. With a vast array of unique and tasteful memorial products, you can rest assured that your loved one will be memorialized in the most respectful manner.

The first real storm of winter swept out of the Rockies, across the plains and is moving toward the East Coast. With temperatures plummeting into the single digits for the first time this winter, ice, snow and sleeting rain are making highway conditions slick and dangerous. Unpredictable winter weather can make your planned trip to the cemetery to honor your loved ones a dangerous journey. Yet knowing that their loved ones’ graves are decorated with wreaths or flowers over the holidays gives families a sense of peace and comfort. Decorating the graves of those who have passed is an honored part of the grieving ritual, a tangible symbol of a family’s love and respect. Many families feel that decorating the graves of their loved ones is an important way to keep memories alive during the holidays.

Forgoing this important tradition when the weather turns nasty may be practical but it leaves an emotional void. With the help of The Gravesite Masters, families can rest assured that their loved ones’ graves will be decorated this holiday. The Gravesite Masters provides gravesite beautification and nationwide delivery of both fresh-cut and artificial cemetery flowers and wreaths to cemeteries across America. Whether you want to pay tribute to a loved one in a cemetery across town or across the country, the caring staff at The Gravesite Masters is ready to help you. Call us today and let us help you decorate your loved ones’ graves for the holidays.

Patriotic Banner

Row after row of stark white crosses march across the open field at the American Cemetery at Colleville Saint Laurent in France. It is a moving and sobering sight. Each cross marks the grave of a U.S. soldier who died in the summer of 1944 during the D-Day invasion that foreshadowed the end of World War II. From a high cliff, the cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach where more than 2,000 Americans died in battle that day. Staring at the rows of crosses as they seem to stretch into infinity, it is overwhelming to remember that each represents someone’s son, someone’s brother, someone’s husband or father.

On Wednesday we pay homage to our nation’s veterans. Originally set aside in 1919 as a day to commemorate America’s World War I veterans, in 1954 Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day to include all veterans. Veterans Day is a time to remember and honor our nation’s veterans and thank those who now serve.

Gravesite Masters offers several fitting gravesite tributes for fallen veterans. A Patriotic Banner is the newest way to commemorate a loved one who served in the Armed Forces. Gravesite Masters also offers a durable flag holder so that the Stars and Stripes can fly proudly over your loved one’s grave. Or choose our Red, White and Blue Patriotic Saddle, a lovely headstone arrangement of beautiful artificial flowers in patriotic hues.

Take a moment to remember the brave men and women who gave their lives for our country and thank those who continue to fight for freedom.

Headstone Photograph Holder

Pictures keep our memories alive when a loved one passes. We display pictures of family and friends to commemorate their passing and keep them close in mind and heart. In photo albums we chronicle the lives of those we love: baby steps, toothless five-year-old grins, cowboy boots and ballerina tutus, the shy embarrassment of first date, first dance, first prom.

In camera flashes we capture the pride of high school accomplishments, graduation day, leaving home, college, jobs, new friends and new loves as those we cherish slowly slip farther away. In digital images we record the ups and downs, successes and failures, joys and sorrows of life that follow.

We seem to chronicle more of the happy, silly, funny moments of life than the sad and serious ones. But perhaps that’s just as well. When someone we love leaves us, it’s the moments of joy and happiness we want to remember, those are the memories that most seem to ease our grief. Adding a headstone photograph holder to your loved one’s gravesite can help keep our memories alive and provide solace in our grief. Every time you visit your loved one’s gravesite, you are greeted cold, lonely stone, but by the smiling countenance of your loved one.

Gravesite Masters offers several headstone photograph display options, including a solar-lighted display and one that includes a floral basket. Visit our website to view our complete selection of  cemetery products.

The death of an infant is something from which I don’t think you ever recover. Although it’s been 18 years, my sister and her husband still mourn the loss of their precious infant daughter. A beautiful, tiny being with wispy blonde curls and huge blue eyes, she was born too prematurely and lived just long enough to capture the hearts of all around her. It was a tragic day when she was laid to rest in the children’s section of the cemetery, her soul freed to live among the angels.

In its own fashion, time does heal even the most shattered hearts, but the deep sense of loss always remains. When a child dies, it helps to feel that someone is watching over your baby, protecting her when you cannot be there. It is comforting to feel that your precious child is in the arms of the angels. Gracing your child’s grave with a beautiful Solar Light Angel from The Gravesite Masters will guard your child’s resting place, providing comfort during the long days and dark nights.

This beautifully sculpted gravesite memorial angel lights the way with her heavenly beauty. Powered by the sun’s light, the finely detailed beatific face, protecting hands, flowing robes and encompassing wings of our guardian angel glow with an ethereal light. Made of weather-tough acrylic, our guardian angel stays bright during the day and all through the night, lighting the way for your most loved child.

Losing a pet for many is just as devastating as that of someone close to them. Deep sympathy is sent to those who have cherished their pet for countless years and now must live without them. A pet death can include a funeral, just like that of a human. While many pet owners do not choose to go to this extreme, a proper burial can be planned.

Pet cremation urns is a simple way to show respect to your lost pet. This special resting place can be chosen from a large selection of various urns. A special dog urn can be chosen based on the breed of dog the lost pet was. This is a great way to remind them and show honor to their loss. A dog funeral is complete with a final resting place for your beloved pet.

Whether you are looking for a marble, wood or ceramic urn, a proper pet urn is available from our extensive collection. Pet memorial markers are another option for pet owners who have recently lost a beloved pet. We respect the needs of pet owners who have recently suffered a loss. Grieving is a process that should be endured in order to move on with your life. By creating a memorial for your pet, you are allowing them to live on after death.

Even when we know that our family member’s time here on earth will be ending soon, it is difficult to pre-plan a funeral service.  At the time of your loved one’s passing, the impending funeral arrangements can be a mind boggling task.  There are so many decisions to be made.  Where and when will the services be held?  What funeral home will handle the details?  What type of flowers should be ordered?  How will the funeral be paid for?  Should we choose cremation or a traditional burial?  These are only a few of the decisions that must be made in a short period of time.

Having to choose a cemetery at the time of a loved one’s death as well can be a daunting task.  There are several different types of cemeteries to consider.  They all vary in cost and services offered so it is wise to know your options before you actually need services.

Veterans Cemeteries are available to veterans who have served in any branch of the United States military.  Veterans and their family members are able to have free burial services and gravesite markers at one of the many national cemeteries around the United States.  District cemeteries are owned by a city, county, or township.  Religious cemeteries are owned by specific religious organizations.  Private cemeteries are not owned by any of the above organizations and are also available.

There are several types of cemetery plots that a cemetery may offer. Lawn Crypts are underground tombs that are reinforced by concrete and steel.  Mausoleum’s are above ground structures that are used for internment of your dearly departed.  A Columbarium Niche is a small space that is reserved for cremated remains.  Lastly, most people prefer the traditional In Ground Burial Plot.

Many people prefer to arrange for their own gravesite maintenance instead of utilizing the services that might be offered at a cemetery.  At Gravesite Masters, we specialize in individual plot maintenance, beautification and care.  With nationwide service available, you can be certain that your loved one’s final resting place is being properly cared for at all times.  We also have a wide selection of cemetery products that will give a lasting tribute to the love you have for your family member.