Gravestone and memorial

When to get the memorial

There is no time limit for getting a grave memorial, and it need not be decided at the time of the funeral. Most families order the stone only months after the burial, once the most pressing matters are done and the estate inventory is complete. There are practical reasons to wait too: under the rules of the Espoo parish union a new memorial may be brought to the grave between 1 June and 31 October once three months have passed since the burial, because the ground must be allowed to settle after a coffin burial. In Espoo no deliveries are therefore made in winter. We check the practice at the Helsinki cemeteries with the burial services case by case. In a memorial grove, at the scattering area and in a columbarium there is no memorial of your own, but a name plaque on the common memorial or on the locker plate can be ordered at the time of placement. If the deceased wished for a particular stone or text, it is worth writing the wish down right away, even if the order is placed later.

What a memorial can be

A memorial is optional, and its form is chosen according to the type of grave and the cemetery's rules. A gravestone is the most common, but a cross, a sculpture or a natural stone also work. Without a grave of your own, the name can be fixed to a common memorial or to the locker plate. The parish's memorial guidelines say what size and shape of memorial suits the grave in question.

• Gravestone on an urn or coffin grave: upright or flat stone, natural stone or slab; grey granite from 510 euros through us
• A cross of wood, metal or stone; often temporary before the stone or as the permanent memorial
• A sculpture or other individual memorial; always requires the parish's approval
• Name plaque on the grove's common memorial: 170 euros in Helsinki, 30 euros in Espoo; no plaque in the anonymous groves at Hietaniemi and Maunula
• Columbarium locker plate: in Espoo the Gräsa door plate or the Tapiola plate 140 euros
• Name plaque on the wall of the church hall in Kallio church: 170 euros for one name, 210 euros for two

Materials and finishes

In Finland a gravestone is most often granite, which withstands frost and keeps its engraving for decades. Stones come in different shades, from grey to black and reddish, and the same stone looks very different depending on the finish: a polished surface is dark and reflective, a honed matte surface lighter and calm, and a split or natural surface leaves the stone rough. The finishes are often combined so that the text surface is polished and the edges left rough. Our partner stonemason offers both classic and modern models in different stone types, colours and finishes; a grey granite stone costs from 510 euros. We show the models and stone samples at our office on Annankatu and look together at what suits the grave and its surroundings. The cemetery's memorial guidelines set the maximum size and sometimes the permitted shapes, so the dimensions are checked before ordering.

Engraving and lettering

The stone is usually engraved with the deceased's name and the dates of birth and death. In addition a short memorial phrase can be engraved, the family name as a heading for future names, or a symbol such as a cross, a sprig or a motif that mattered to the deceased. The engraving is done by sandblasting or laser; sandblasting makes a deep, clearly tangible letter, while laser suits detailed images and small text. The letters can be left in the stone's own colour or highlighted with paint or gilding so the text stands out from further away. There are several typefaces, and together we choose one that is clear at the stone's size and stays legible when the stone is later added to. Before engraving you receive a proof to check the spelling of the names and the dates. It is best to keep the memorial phrase short; a few words age better than a long text.

The parish memorial plan and approval

In many cemeteries a drawing of the stone with its dimensions must be submitted to the parish for approval before it is made. In the Espoo parish union this is the memorial plan, which shows the shape, material, dimensions, finish and text; it is signed by the grave rights holder or a person they have authorised and delivered to the burial services in two copies. Approval requires that the invoices for the grave have been paid. The Helsinki parish union's burial services handle plans in a corresponding way, and we draw up and submit the plan for you together with the stonemason. The approval ensures that the stone fits the plot, sits well with the other memorials in the block and stands safely. Only after approval is the stone made. If a stone already stands on the grave and only a name is added, a new plan is usually not needed, but we check with the burial services.

Adding a name to an existing stone

When the deceased is buried in a family grave that already has a stone, no new memorial is needed: an added name and dates are engraved on the stone. The engraving is done either at the grave, or the stone is taken to the workshop and brought back; the stonemason judges the method by the stone's condition and the engraving style. At the same time the old letters can be re-highlighted so that the new and old text look uniform. Engraving an added name is considerably cheaper than a new stone, and it is priced by the stone and the text; we tell you the price in advance. The Vantaa parishes give an example of how a parish can itself sell memorial products: an engraved and installed name plate costs 50 euros there and a ready-made memorial with an engraved name plate 720 euros. In Helsinki and Espoo the added name is ordered from a stone firm, and we handle the order and the notice to the cemetery for you.

Restoration and repair

An old stone gathers moss, tilts and fades, and the grave rights holder is responsible for its condition. Restoration is often sensible to do at the same time as a name is added. Our partner stonemason carries out the following work, and we tell you the price in advance according to the stone's size and condition.

• Cleaning and moss removal: dirt and growth are gently removed from the stone's surface
• Deepening and renewing engravings: worn letters are deepened and new names added
• Gilding or painting: the colour of the letters is restored so the text stands out again
• Straightening: a tilted stone is set upright and the foundation reinforced
• Structural repairs: cracks are filled and the foundation repaired where needed

The price and what affects it

A grey granite stone costs from 510 euros through us. The price is affected by the stone's size and thickness, the type and colour of stone, the finish, the complexity of the shape and the amount and highlighting of the engraving. Delivery to the grave and installation are priced by the stone and the cemetery, and we give a total price before you order. The parish may charge separate fees: in Helsinki 170 euros is charged in blocks with continuous concrete base beams, in Espoo 160 euros for a base beam on some urn graves and in Vantaa 110 euros for the memorial base beam on a coffin grave. The parishes' own products are a point of comparison: in Vantaa a ready-made memorial with an engraved name plate costs 720 euros and a name plate 50 euros. A reasonable gravestone cost is a deductible funeral expense in the estate inventory like the other funeral costs, so keep the invoice for the inventory. If the stone is bought only after the inventory, it can still be paid from the estate's funds; we explain how this works in practice.

Delivery, foundation and installation

The stone is delivered to the grave and installed by the stonemason. The stone needs a foundation: in some blocks the parish has installed a continuous base beam to which the stone is fixed, and elsewhere a foundation is made for the stone itself. In the Espoo parish union the delivery is notified to the cemetery foreman in advance, deliveries take place on weekdays between 8 and 14.30, and a new memorial is brought to the grave between 1 June and 31 October once three months have passed since the burial; on an urn grave where the parish has installed a base beam, the stone may be brought as soon as the plan is approved, between 1 June and 30 November. In Helsinki we agree the notice and the date with the burial services. Once the stone is in place, we visit the grave if needed to check that it stands straight and that the text matches the proof. You do not need to be present at the installation, but many families want to visit the grave soon afterwards.

What you can leave to us

With a gravestone you do not need to deal with many parties. We go through the models, materials and text with you, draw up the memorial plan and submit it for the parish's approval, order the stone from our partner stonemason, agree the delivery with the cemetery within the permitted period and see to the installation. At the same time we handle the engraving of an added name and the restoration of an old stone if they are needed. You receive the total price in writing before ordering, and the invoice serves the estate inventory. The matter can be started at any time, even years after the funeral, and it need not be connected to a funeral we arranged. Call 09 6129 890 or book a planning visit at Annankatu 12; the visit is free of charge. At our office you can see stone samples and models, and you can also handle the order by phone or online in the family's shared space, where every relative sees the same proof and price.

Frequently asked questions