The time taken between ordering the stone and fixing it in the cemetery or churchyard depends on a few factors:
Firstly, the ground must be settled enough to fix a stone. This usually takes around 6 months following a burial.
Secondly, some stones have to be especially ordered in. The more unusual stones may take up to 12 weeks to arrive so please factor this in if you are ordering a stone for an occasion such as Christmas or the birth or anniversary of death of a loved one.
Finally, the paperwork which the council requires must be completed by the burial plot owner. Sometimes this may take a while, especially if the plot owner is deceased and the plot has to be transferred into another name.
Lettering can be added to an existing memorial assuming that there is enough room to add a new inscription. We can also renovate memorials (clean and re-gild where necessary) at the same time. Designs can also be added. To add a new inscription on a memorial, the local council will need to be informed and a council fee paid. We usually remove the memorial from the cemetery or churchyard in order to carry out the work.
Putting photographs and designs onto memorials is becoming more popular in the UK. The Local Burial Authority will need to be contacted to ensure that they allow this.* Assuming that they do we can have photographs transferred onto a ceramic plaque and fixed securely onto the memorial for you.
We do many bespoke designs from football badges to large scenes. We have even done a full-sized guitar design for a client.
* Some churchyards and cemeteries have strict rules about the type of memorial that can be placed there. We will always check for you before undertaking any work of this type