Why Work With Us?

Cemetery Plaque Dealer
in NJ

Hand-carved memorial plaques by Cemetery Plaque Shop — 80+ years in Morris County, NJ.

NJ Memorial Specialists — Custom granite & bronze memorials
Custom Carving & Design — Hand-carved in Morris County
Veteran Memorials — VA-compatible, military-grade
Cemetery Compliance — Every piece meets cemetery rules
Foundation Installation — Below frost-line, level-set
Photo-Etched Portraits — High-contrast relief portraits
Memorial Restoration — Restore aged & weathered stone
American-Made Materials — Domestic granite & bronze
Companion Memorial Sets — Side-by-side memorial pairs
Over 80 Years in NJ — Family-owned since 1945
All 14 NJ Counties — Statewide installation
Multilingual Service — English · Russian · Polish
Call (201) 582-8447Get a Free Consultation
Serving all of New Jersey · English, Russian, Polish
Bronze Cemetery Plaque hand-carved by Cemetery Plaque Shop in NJ — image 1

Memorial Plaques

Over 80 Years in NJ

Ready When You Are

Talk to a Cemetery Plaque Shop craftsman today.

Call, email, schedule a free quote, or visit the showroom in person. Real people answer the phone Monday through Saturday.

Call (201) 582-8447Email UsSchedule a Free QuoteVisit Our Showroom
Service Area

Serving All 14 NJ Counties

Cemetery Plaque Shop serves families across all 14 New Jersey counties — from our Morris County, NJ workshop in Madison to cemeteries throughout Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Hudson, Union, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties. Whether your loved one rests in a rural Sussex hillside cemetery or a Bergen County memorial park, our team coordinates delivery and placement directly with cemetery staff so every detail meets local regulations. No county is beyond our reach.

  • Morris
  • Bergen
  • Essex
  • Passaic
  • Hudson
  • Union
  • Sussex
  • Warren
  • Hunterdon
  • Somerset
  • Middlesex
  • Mercer
  • Monmouth
  • Ocean
Cemetery Guide

Cemetery Compliance Guide

Cemetery Regulations

Cemetery regulations in New Jersey govern everything from plaque dimensions to the method of attachment to an existing headstone or base. Some grounds require cemetery-approved installers; others allow family placement for certain flat markers. Religious cemeteries — Catholic, Jewish, and others — may add symbol restrictions or inscription guidelines on top of general cemetery rules. Cemetery Plaque Shop works directly with cemetery offices statewide to confirm current requirements before fabrication begins, protecting your family from unexpected rejections.

Foundation Requirements

Bronze memorial plaques intended for outdoor cemetery use are almost always mounted on a granite base rather than set directly into soil. A properly cut granite base — typically 2 to 4 inches thick — provides structural stability and resists the freeze-thaw cycles that New Jersey winters impose. The base itself may require a concrete footer poured to the depth required by the cemetery, often 6 to 12 inches below grade. Cemetery Plaque Shop supplies granite bases sized to cemetery specifications and can coordinate with a licensed installer when cemetery rules require professional placement.

Religious Cemetery Considerations

New Jersey's religious cemeteries — Catholic, Jewish, Eastern Orthodox, and others — often layer additional guidelines on top of standard monument rules. Catholic cemeteries in Essex and Morris counties commonly specify approved religious symbols and may require that the cross design conform to a particular style. Jewish cemeteries typically prohibit crosses and may restrict inscriptions to Hebrew, Yiddish, or transliterated text alongside English. Eastern Orthodox communities often request the eight-pointed cross or Cyrillic lettering. Cemetery Plaque Shop's team — fluent in English, Russian, and Polish — guides families through symbol and inscription requirements for their specific grounds with sensitivity and care.

Our Collection

Our Memorial Plaques Collection

Cemetery Plaque

Cemetery plaques serve as the primary marker or as a companion piece alongside an existing headstone. Most are fabricated in bronze — chosen for its durability, its warm visual presence, and its acceptance at virtually every New Jersey cemetery. Plaque dimensions are matched to the specific section's rules: lawn-level plots require markers that sit precisely at grade; upright sections permit panels of varying height. The face of the plaque carries whatever the family requires — full name, dates, faith symbol, military insignia, a line of verse, and optionally a ceramic portrait tile inset for a photo-quality likeness. Bronze resists corrosion through New Jersey's humid summers and freezing winters, maintaining legible inscriptions for decades without the need for repainting or recoating. Families who already have an upright granite headstone often add a cemetery plaque at the footstone position to complete the memorial — a pairing that creates a more complete record of a life at a single site. Cemetery Plaque Shop's team reviews the cemetery's current regulations before any design is finalized, ensuring the finished piece installs without correction.

Bronze Options

Cemetery plaque options include statuary bronze and dark-rubbed bronze finishes, raised relief or etched lettering, and a full range of decorative borders. Religious symbols for Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, Orthodox, and other traditions are all available. Military service branch insignias — Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard — are engraved to specification. Ceramic photo tiles, hand-painted full-color or sepia, are available for portrait inclusion. Custom inscriptions in any language are welcomed; English, Russian, and Polish engraving are our most commonly requested language combinations.

Custom Design Process

Design begins with a consultation — in English, Russian, or Polish — to gather all required information. Our team prepares a scaled digital proof showing every element of the plaque for family review and written approval. Once approved, the plaque is cast or etched from American-made bronze in our Morris County workshop, hand-finished, and delivered to the cemetery. We coordinate directly with cemetery staff to schedule installation at a time that works for the family and the grounds.

Bronze Cemetery Plaque hand-carved by Cemetery Plaque Shop in NJ — image 2
Bronze Cemetery Plaque hand-carved by Cemetery Plaque Shop in NJ — image 3
Bronze Cemetery Plaque hand-carved by Cemetery Plaque Shop in NJ — image 4
Bronze Cemetery Plaque hand-carved by Cemetery Plaque Shop in NJ — image 5
Bronze Cemetery Plaque hand-carved by Cemetery Plaque Shop in NJ — image 6
Bronze Cemetery Plaque hand-carved by Cemetery Plaque Shop in NJ — image 7
Bronze Cemetery Plaque hand-carved by Cemetery Plaque Shop in NJ — image 8
Bronze Cemetery Plaque hand-carved by Cemetery Plaque Shop in NJ — image 9
Memorial Plaques process
Our Process

Our Hand-Carving Process

Every bronze memorial plaque that leaves Cemetery Plaque Shop's Morris County workshop passes through six deliberate stages. First, a design consultation — in English, Russian, or Polish — gathers every detail: name, dates, inscription, symbols, and the specific cemetery's mounting requirements. Second, a digital proof is prepared and reviewed with the family until every letter and line is exactly right. Third, American-made bronze is cast or etched to the approved design; we use no imported substitutes. Fourth, relief lettering and decorative elements are hand-finished to sharpen definition — a step that distinguishes a hand-crafted plaque from a mass-produced one. Fifth, the plaque is fitted to its granite base (if applicable) and inspected against the cemetery's dimensional requirements. Sixth, delivery and placement are coordinated with the cemetery so the installation proceeds without delay. Families are welcome to visit the workshop at any stage to view work in progress. The entire process — from approved proof to cemetery placement — typically takes several weeks, depending on complexity and cemetery scheduling.

Memorial Plaques memorial installed in NJ
Voices

What Families Say

New Jersey families have entrusted us with their memorials for three generations.

“My husband's plaque needed to include his Polish name and a verse in Polish alongside the English. Cemetery Plaque Shop handled both languages without any difficulty, and the digital proof showed exactly how the lettering would look before they made anything. The finished plaque was just as we hoped.” — Irena, Passaic County NJ
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not see your question here, call us.

How long does it take to design and install a memorial plaques?

Most cemetery plaques take several weeks from approved design proof to cemetery placement. Simpler designs with standard lettering move faster; complex castings with photo etching or intricate relief work may require additional time. We review the timeline at your initial consultation so there are no surprises.

Do you serve cemeteries throughout New Jersey?

Yes. Cemetery Plaque Shop serves all 14 New Jersey counties, from Morris County — where our workshop is located — to Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Hudson, Union, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean. We coordinate directly with cemetery offices for delivery and placement.

Are your memorials cemetery-compliant?

Every cemetery plaque we produce is reviewed against the specific cemetery's current rulebook before fabrication begins. Dimensions, mounting methods, and approved symbols are all verified so the finished piece installs without issue. If a cemetery's rules change between order and delivery, we communicate directly with the grounds office to resolve it.

Can I bring my own design or photo?

Families are encouraged to share photos, sketches, meaningful symbols, military branch insignias, or religious artwork. Our design team incorporates your vision into a digital proof for review and approval before any material is cut or cast. Photo-etching on bronze or ceramic inserts on granite are both available options for portrait-quality imagery.

Do you offer veteran companion markers?

Cemetery Plaque Shop produces veteran plaques featuring branch-of-service insignias — Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force — alongside dates of service and campaign information. These can be paired with a headstone or mounted as a companion marker. Families with questions about VA-furnished markers should discuss their specific situation with us during the consultation.

What languages do you serve families in?

Yes — English, Russian, and Polish.

Showroom & Gallery

See Cemetery Plaque in Person

Browse a few of the stones we have set, then come visit us in person. Sample stones, finishes, and lettering are all on display.

Cemetery Plaque Shop Madison, NJ 07940
Get directions
Memorial Plaques · Serving all of New Jersey

Schedule a Free Consultation Today

We serve families across Morris, Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Hudson counties and all of New Jersey. Fill out the form, drop by the showroom, or call us. Real people answer the phone Monday through Saturday.

Request Your Free Consultation

A specialist contacts you within one business day. House calls available across Morris County and the surrounding region.

Or call (201) 582-8447