Choosing between a memorial bench and an upright headstone starts with a simple question: what do you want the memorial to provide?
A bench gives family members somewhere to sit while remembering a loved one. An upright monument provides a standing memorial for names, dates, and personal details. Both can be personalized, but the right choice depends on your preferences and where the memorial will be placed.
Woodside Granite creates both memorial benches and upright monuments. This guide explains their differences and the questions to answer before choosing a design.
Memorial Benches and Upright Headstones style Explained
A memorial bench provides both a tribute and somewhere to sit. An upright headstone is a standing memorial that displays names, dates, and personal details. The main difference is whether you want seating to be part of the memorial.
Woodside Granite creates custom memorial benches with inscriptions, quotations, symbols, and images. A bench can provide a place for family members to sit and remember, whether in a cemetery, at home, or another meaningful location where placement is permitted.
Woodside Granite designs and creates custom upright monuments, with lettering and porcelain photo options. This style suits families who prefer a standing headstone without seating. The team also transports monuments to the cemetery and coordinates their installation.
Memorial Bench vs Upright Headstone: The Main Differences
| Feature | Memorial Bench | Upright Monument |
| Purpose | Remembrance and seating | A standing memorial at the grave |
| Seating | Provides a place to sit | Does not include seating |
| Form | Bench-shaped memorial | Vertical headstone or monument |
| Personalization offered by Woodside | Inscriptions, quotations, symbols, and images | Custom design, lettering, and porcelain photo additions |
| Placement | Cemetery, home, or another meaningful location, where permitted | Cemetery placement, subject to its requirements |
| Main question before ordering | Can the bench be placed there, and can it serve as the grave marker? | Does the proposed monument meet the cemetery’s requirements? |
| Cost | Requires an estimate for the chosen design | Requires an estimate for the chosen design |
Woodside’s product pages describe these personalization options. Ask which details can be included in the specific design you choose.
Which Option Fits With Your Family?
Think about how your family would use the memorial.
If having somewhere to sit matters to you, a bench meets that need directly. It can provide a place to pause during a visit, whether at a cemetery or another approved location.
If you prefer a standing headstone, an upright monument offers that form without adding seating. The vertical design keeps the names, dates, and personal details at the center of the memorial.
Neither style is the better choice for every family. The useful distinction is whether you want seating as part of the memorial or prefer an upright marker.
What Can You Include in the Design?
Start with the details your family wants to see on the memorial. Names and dates may come first, followed by a short inscription, symbol, or image.
For custom bench headstones, Woodside lists inscriptions, quotations, symbols, and images. For upright monuments, it offers custom design, lettering, and porcelain photo additions.
Bring your proposed wording and any reference images to the design discussion. Ask where each detail would appear and whether the layout leaves enough room for everything you want included. Do not assume a bench always has more inscription space than an upright monument, or the reverse. Compare the actual designs.
Granite color is another part of that conversation. Woodside has a range of granite colors for memorials. Ask which colors are available for the design you are considering.
Confirm Cemetery Requirements Before Ordering
A design you like still needs to be suitable for its location. Before ordering a cemetery memorial, confirm what is allowed in your section and on your plot.
For a bench, ask whether it can serve as the grave marker or must be placed as a separate tribute. For an upright monument, ask whether the proposed style and dimensions are permitted. In both cases, confirm the approval needed before production and installation.
Woodside Granite states that it acts as a liaison with the cemetery to help meet its regulations. Give the team the cemetery name and any plot information you have so those requirements can be considered during the design process.
How Should You Compare the Cost?
Compare estimates for two specific designs rather than assuming one memorial type will always cost less.
Explain what you want included in each option, then ask what the estimate covers. Clarify whether personalization, transport, installation, and any applicable cemetery charges are included or separate.
This makes the comparison more useful. You can assess the proposed memorial and the complete scope of work together, rather than comparing two prices with different inclusions.
Woodside Granite offers free estimates for its custom monument services.
Cemetery Rules and Regulations
Before choosing a memorial bench or upright headstone, confirm that the proposed design can be placed in your cemetery section. Woodside Granite states that its team works directly with the cemetery to ensure regulations are met during the memorial process.
- Whether your preferred memorial style is permitted.
- Any requirements affecting its dimensions or placement.
- Whether a bench can mark the grave or must be a separate tribute.
- What approval is needed before production and installation.
These are questions to confirm your specific plot. Woodside’s website does not provide a single set of cemetery rules that applies to every location.
Choosing Your Memorial
A memorial bench may suit your family if you want seating as part of the tribute. An upright monument may suit you if you prefer a standing headstone focused on inscriptions and personal details.
Before deciding, make sure:
- The memorial is permitted where you want it placed.
- The proposed layout includes the wording and details you want.
- You understand the estimate and what it covers.
Once those points are clear, you can choose based on what feels appropriate for your family.
Explore Both Options With Woodside Granite
If you are still deciding, view Woodside’s memorial benches and upright monuments.
Share the location, your inscription ideas, and whether seating is important to you. Woodside Granite can help you discuss the two options and develop a design around your preferences and the cemetery’s requirements.
FAQ
Can a memorial bench be used as a headstone?
Yes, a memorial bench can serve as a grave marker where the cemetery permits it. Woodside Granite describes granite benches that function as grave markers. Before ordering, confirm that the proposed bench meets the requirements for your cemetery section and plot.
Can I place a memorial bench beside an existing upright headstone?
Ask the cemetery before ordering a separate bench. An existing headstone does not establish permission for additional seating on the plot. Share the plot details and proposed placement with Woodside Granite so its team can discuss the cemetery requirements before the design is finalized.
What can I put on a memorial bench?
Woodside Granite offers memorial benches personalized with inscriptions, quotations, symbols, and images. Start with the name and message you want included, then discuss their placement in the design. Agree on the wording with your family before approving the final layout.
Can I see the memorial design before it is made?
Woodside Granite’s ordering process includes a professional rendering for you to review. You can request changes before signing your approval. Production begins after the design is approved, giving you an opportunity to check spelling, dates, wording and layout first.
Is a memorial bench more expensive than an upright headstone?
There is no single price comparison that applies to every design. Request estimates for the specific bench and upright monument you are considering and check what each includes. Woodside Granite offers free estimates for its custom monument services.
Can I choose a memorial before it is needed?
Woodside Granite offers the option of choosing a memorial in advance. Its website explains that some families order after a death while others plan ahead to select their preferred memorial and reduce decisions for surviving family members.
What happens after I approve the memorial design?
After approval, Woodside Granite puts the memorial into production. Once completed, it is cleaned, inspected and scheduled for cemetery installation. After installation, the team takes a confirming photograph and notifies the specialist handling your order, who then informs you.
