Weddings At Taylors Falls United Methodist Church

We believe that your most important relationship is with God, through Jesus Christ and your marriage is the second most important relationship you have. A Christian wedding is a legal agreement you make together. More than that, it is a sacred promise before God to love and cherish one another throughout your lives. It is in light of this Truth, we ask God’s blessing on your union.

Weddings For Church Members, Active Participants, And Their Children

There is no charge for the sanctuary or kitchen. There will be a $100 “reservation fee” to secure the wedding date. The wedding party is asked to give a donation of $125 to cover janitorial services and wedding coordinator’s time. Additional expenses are listed below.

Weddings all Others Wanting To Utilize Our Church Space

There is a $500 charge for use of the building, custodian services and wedding coordinator time. The building will not be considered reserved until a $250 deposit has been received. The remaining $250 is due at the rehearsal. An additional $100 will be charged for use of the kitchen for receptions following the ceremony. Additional expenses are listed below.

For All Weddings

Wedding dates are put on the calendar by calling or emailing Reverend Tom Ervasti at 651-242-6046 or tserv1@protonmail.com. All wedding ceremonies are officiated by our appointed pastor. The pastor’s fee is $150, payable to Reverend Tom Ervasti, at the rehearsal. If you would like to have another pastor or religious official involved in the ceremony or to preside over the entire service, that pastor must be approved by our appointed pastor before the wedding date is scheduled on the calendar. Written proof of his or her State Certification and church affiliation is required before the wedding date is finalized. The intent of this pre-approval is to affirm that this is a Christian service and meets the beliefs and practices of the United Methodist Church. The pastor will meet with the couple to assist them with the Order of Service for a Christian marriage.

Thank you for considering Taylors Falls United Methodist Church for your wedding. We celebrate the opportunity to meet you and to work together to establish your marriage. Our registered Premarital Facilitator is here to provide an online Prepare/Enrich Pre-marital Assessment with results, identifying your strength and growth areas. For the purpose of establishing the success of your marriage, six to twelve hours of counseling is required with a facilitator. Facilitator name(s) and costs are available upon request.

Please note: This historic church sanctuary comfortably seats 160 guests. Due to the limited lower level space, we are unable to host large formal receptions following the ceremony. If there are Covid-19 restrictions for inside gatherings in the sanctuary, the seating capacity may be limited. Masks are optional.

Pianist names are available upon your request. Fees for services vary. Some wedding couples prefer to use recorded music, and we have a fine sound system. The wedding couple must supply the music, such as via CD, and a sound operator.

Funerals At This Church

Funerals at the Taylors Falls United Methodist Church are a celebration of life in loving memory of the deceased as we thank God for His promises:

John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” New Revised Standard

John 14:6:

“I (Jesus) am the way, the truth and life, no one comes to the Father except through me” New Internat’l Version

For Church Members, Constituents and their families

There is no charge for the sanctuary or kitchen. The pastor should receive a minimum of $150. The family is asked to give a donation of $100 to cover janitorial services and church funeral coordinator’s time. The family needs to tell the church Funeral Coordinator if they will be using Funeral Director’s help during the service. If they are not involved the funeral day, the church will provide ushers.

For Non-Church Members

There is a $450 charge for use of the building and services provided by the church, including the pastor. Checks are payable to TF United Methodist Church and due prior to the service. If/When an outside officiant is obtained, the pastor of this congregation will be a co-officiant for the service. The family needs to tell the church Funeral Coordinator if they will be using the Funeral Director’s help at the service itself. If they are not involved the funeral day, the family needs to appoint ushers.

For All Funerals

The date and time needs to be set by calling or emailing Pastor Tom Ervasti 651-242-6046 or tserv1@protonmail.com. The church can be used for visitation the evening before and/or time prior to the service. There is no additional charge.

Pianist and soloist arrangements and payment are the responsibility of the family. A list of pianists is available on request.

When a meal is provided after the service, the charge per plate is determined by the estimated number of people anticipated to be served. It will be served by church members unless other arrangements are made. Food payment is due the day of the funeral. Suggested menus with prices $3 - $5 per plate are available from the church funeral coordinator. Food can also be purchased directly by the family from a restaurant or licensed caterer.

Funeral Costs

After the funeral takes place:

For members, constituent and family, $150 is to be paid directly to the pastor by the family.

Of the $100 donation paid to TF UMC:

  • $50 goes to church funeral coordinator

  • $50 goes for janitorial services

For non-member funerals the $450 is divided as follows –

  • $150 goes to the pastor

  • $175 goes to the church general fund

  • $75 goes to church funeral coordinator

  • $50 goes to janitorial services

For all funerals when applicable: The food expenses will be paid directly to the person who has purchased the food.