Designing and making the tombstone
A tombstone is a lasting thing, and it should say what the family wants it to say. We help you design it, the stone, the shape, the wording and the picture, and then we engrave and make it. You choose within your budget, and we show you options plainly.
Materials and lettering
Tombstones come in different stones, granite is the most common because it lasts and holds its colour, and there are more affordable options too. The lettering can be engraved and filled in gold, silver or black, and many families add a ceramic photograph. We talk you through what wears well in our climate, so the stone still looks right in twenty years.
Engraving, permissions and installation
Once the design is agreed, we engrave the stone and install it at the grave, level and secure, ready for the unveiling. Cemeteries have their own rules about the size and the foundation of a tombstone, and we handle those permissions so nothing is turned away on the day of installation.
The unveiling
The unveiling (umsebenzi or umcimbi wetshe) is its own gathering, often about a year after the burial, when the family comes together again to reveal the tombstone and to remember. We can set up for the day exactly as we do for a funeral, tent, chairs, sound and catering, so the family only has to be present. There is no fixed time you must do this; it happens when the family is ready.
The grave until the stone is ready
Between the burial and the tombstone, many families mark the grave with a temporary plaque or a simple cross so it is never unnamed. There is no fixed timeline for the permanent stone, some families do it within months, others take a year or more. Whatever suits your family and your budget is the right pace, and we will be here when you are ready.
How we help
There is no rush. When your family is ready, come to us and we will design the stone with you, make and install it, and help you plan the unveiling. We keep your family's details on record so the wording and the day are right.
