February is often associated with love — romantic love, family bonds, and the close ties that shape our lives. It’s also a meaningful time to reflect on how memorials can celebrate love stories that endure beyond a lifetime.

For many families, memorials aren’t only about one individual, but about shared lives. Companion monuments, shared inscriptions, and coordinated designs allow couples or family members to be remembered together, honoring relationships which shaped their journey. These memorials tell a wider story — one of partnership, devotion, and connection.

Symbols commonly play an important role in expressing love through memorial design. Intertwined rings, hearts, doves, clasped hands, and infinity motifs are common choices, each signifying unity, commitment, and eternal connection. Mindfully chosen inscriptions, such as meaningful quotes or shared phrases, can further customize the tribute.

February is also a time when many people reflect on their own relationships and legacy. Pre-planning a memorial can be a loving act — one that ensures your story, as well as the stories you share with others, are honored intentionally. It’s a way to leave peace and comfort for those you love most.

Memorials that celebrate love aren’t limited to couples. Parents and children, siblings, lifelong friends, and even beloved pets can be honored using shared or complementary designs. These memorials remind us that love takes many forms, all worthy of remembrance.

At Des Moines Winterset Memorials, we work closely with families to design memorials that reflect not only individual lives, but the relationships that made them meaningful. Especially in a month focused on love, memorialization becomes a strong reminder that the ties we share do not end — they continue, remembered in stone and carried in our hearts.