Grave Surround Ideas: Creating the Perfect Resting Place

Why do we decorate graves?

We decorate graves as a tradition. We do this as it personalises the grave for identification purposes (engravings and portraits) and to comfort mourners who visit. Many people struggle to know what to do and say when a loved one dies and decorating a grave can provide focus and a way of expressing love and grief. Rituals are hugely comforting in times of distress. 

Decorating graves on an ongoing basis, such as bringing fresh flowers, allows the mourners to continue to express their grief and gain comfort as the years pass. Most cemeteries will maintain the graves and this includes removal of bouquets when they are past their best. Some cemeteries don’t allow artificial flowers as they can quickly look unsightly and weathered as they are open to the elements.

Choosing the right memorial for a departed loved one is never easy. At Memorials of Distinction we take pride in the vast range of high-quality, hand-carved headstones and gravestones in our collection, and we truly believe that there is something to suit everyone. However, we understand that only you know how best to remember your loved one – and you may feel that traditional headstones simply do not offer the space to sufficiently pay tribute. That’s why we offer much more than simply headstones. 

Decorating the area around a grave

The main stone and inscription are really just the beginning of a memorial, and with well-chosen decorative elements they can form the foundation of a truly striking resting place. From grave ornaments such as candle boxes and religious icons to memorial statues and memorial vases, we have a huge variety of grave decorations that can make a unique and meaningful addition to the area around the grave. If you want to add lots of flowers and intend to regularly replenish them with fresh ones, our vases of all shapes and sizes can help create a focal point – and you can choose to add just one or as many as you feel you wish to. 

You can also add solar lights to a grave area such as a stone angel holding a solar light. You might also wish to include seasonal decorations when you visit the grave at Christmas time or on your loved one’s birthday. These could include a mini potted Christmas tree or a birthday teddy bear. Grave decorations like these depend on the cemetery rules.

For an extra personal touch, our photoplaques, etchings and sandblasted designs allow you to incorporate something truly unique that represents your loved one’s life – whether it’s a hobby, a belief, a favourite piece of art or a treasured item. We have many options to choose from but you can always speak to our friendly team about incorporating your own ideas with our bespoke design service.

Add a personal touch to your grave surround design

Putting additional items on and around a grave elevates it into something that feels truly personal, avoiding the uniformity of a simple headstone which may not stand out from those surrounding it. That’s why at Memorials of Distinction our grave decoration designs cater to all tastes, ensuring you can find the ornament, statue, vase or other decorative item that feels just right.

Once you have chosen the elements that will make up your loved one’s resting place, you might feel that you want a way to unify them all into a single memorial. One of the best ways to do this is to opt for a kerbed memorial. This is a style of memorial that extends from the headstone at ground level to cover the full grave, creating a contained and garden-like effect which complements the items you have chosen, and helps to make them look their best. 

The kerbed memorials we offer can be filled with plants and greenery, coloured chippings or a stone cover slab to match the headstone. This marks out a space, inside the grave edging, that you can choose to customise as you wish, truly making the most of the space. Some also incorporate specific design features like the winding path memorial and our open book memorials which allow additional space for an engraving.

The cost of a kerbed memorial

Our kerbed memorials come in a diverse range of striking designs, and our prices reflect this. All our kerbed memorials are made from the highest quality materials, drawing on over 35 years of experience in stonemasonry. They come with a 30-year stonework guarantee that ensures a robust and long-lasting marker for your loved one’s resting place. For more information on pricing, please read our blog post on how much is a headstone. 

What should you not decorate the grave surroundings with?

What you can put on gravestones in the UK varies from cemetery to cemetery. Many cemeteries don’t allow plastic decorations, glass containers, marble chippings, freestanding items and artificial flowers. There will be safety reasons behind these decisions.

Helping you choose the right grave surround

At Memorials of Distinction we can advise you on the rules of your chosen churchyard or burial ground, to determine what aspects of a grave design are suitable and what you may need to alter. Each site has its own restrictions on what can be placed on grave surroundings and what style of memorial can be used, and we are very accustomed to factoring these in while helping you to create something truly unique that reflects the life of your loved one. 

If you have any questions about kerbed memorials, grave surround ideas or any other aspect of grave design, do not hesitate to speak to our team today by calling 01582 273024.