A desire to remember and be remembered seems inherent in all of us. It manifests itself in little things like carving our initials on trees, or putting our handprints and names in wet cement. Culturally, we see it in grand monuments like the National War Memorial, or the simple, but beautiful grave markers at Office of Australian War Graves – Gardens of Remembrance.
We want to remember our loved ones. And be remembered ourselves.
And for many families creating a memorial in bronze gives them a sense of place and permanence that helps them move from grieving to remembrance.
Bronze memorials, known for their beauty and elegance, are a traditional and popular choice for many families. Bronze is a semi-precious metal and communicates a refined sense of style and taste. It is a time-defying material, which can develop a rich patina over time, which many families appreciate. It also allows families to create a more elegant memorial in cemeteries which only permit flat grave headstones. Even in two-dimensions, bronze can make a very special statement.
New technologies are giving families new ways to personalise their bronze memorials. For example, families can now choose memorials with images from photographs on bronze that allow them to tell the story of a person’s life. And you can even include full-color permanent pictures of the person as part of the bronze memorial. Families can also write poems, or summaries of a person’s life, all of which can be captured in bronze permanently. . The choices you have are often limited only by your personal vision and taste.
Because of these new creative choices, many families are finding that coming together to design or write the words for a highly- personal monument becomes a fulfilling and important part of moving from grieving to remembrance.
These more personal ways of remembering are increasingly appealing to all families, whether they choose burial or cremation. Families are realising that having a permanent place to remember a loved one has tremendous value, not only for them and for today, but also for their children and grandchildren.
Bronze memorials are especially appropriate as permanent remembrances in cremation gardens, and in columbariums. In fact, to meet the growing demand among families who choose cremation to have a place of permanent remembrance, many cemeteries are developing special sections for cremation remembrance. And bronze memorials are often the preferred choice for in these cremation sections. This video shows creative use of bronze memorials that are appropriate for traditional burial as well and captures “lives well-lived”.
Choosing and personalising a bronze memorial can be as simple or as involved as you wish. Your cemetery professional can help show you all your choices and can ensure that you are free to focus on the memorial design, or on writing the poems, stories or providing the images you want on the bronze memorial. They will also be able to give you professional guidance on any special requirements that the cemetery may have regarding the size and shape of memorials. (Please be aware that most cemeteries do have certain restrictions.)
Contacting your cemetery professional is the best way of getting the information you need to make the choice that is right for you and your family. To find An Authorised Remembrance Provider℠ near you, just click on “cemetery” in the search box on the bottom of this page.
The images below feature a selection of bronze grave memorials that illustrate various ways families have chosen to remember their loved ones. In addition, we think your own ideas for remembering your loved ones may be jump-started by reading how one family decided to use new techniques in bronze to best represent their father’s life to the world.
