I'm so sorry Jessica!!! I hate to say this but something sounds not so right!! For both my brothers we didn't have to put anything down to get a draft of the grave stones. We picked everything out and they drew up the plans....faxed them to all us (we all lived in different states) and made any changes we wanted. Then when we made the final decision they ordered the stones and we didn't have to pay until the stones came in and we "inspected" them!!!
We didn't get "photo ones" but I can't believe that they would require you to PAY IN FULL before you even saw a draft of the stone!! That is crazy......I mean what if they suck!!!
All I can say is KEEP ON THEM!!! That is a ton of money (both my brother's are on the larger size and theirs were only about $1500 bucks a piece!!!) to have nothing to show for it!!!
I also wanted to let you know (and it may be a little different because my brothers are buried in Ohio...a different climate then Florida) once the stone is done it will probably be several more weeks before it can be set. Most stones require a footer to be poured and that will need to set and settle into the ground and then they can place the actual grave stone/marker on top of that.
I can't believe the funeral home didn't give you a "nicer" temporary marker, I'm so sorry for that!!!
Keep you chin up....in the end it will all work out!!!