Princeton Lavender is pretty, but it's not worth it because the owner is miserable and his behavior is rude.
First, he'll want to nickel-and-dime you (extra charges for the use of his bar, his projection screen, etc.). Who does that? (Pro Tip: bring your own toilet paper because he won't supply enough for the paper.)
Second, he'll make things difficult for you. He has a policy where tables cannot be moved. This obviously is not ideal if you want any arrangement that does not conform to the owner's arrangement. (He is adamant about the furniture not moving, he'll send multiple reminders and behave rudely about it.) He also doesn't make the place accessible. Because he lives on the property and he keeps very close watch over the location, he doesn't want people near the barn. That obviously complicates things when you're setting up and want to visit to assess the space for an important event.
Third, the day of the event is difficult at the barn. The owner keeps the bathrooms locked (yes, they are upscale port-o-potties). This is terrible if you're dropping off items, decorating, etc. There is no bathroom to use! The same thing with the air or heat. The owner will only turn on the AC or heat 90 minutes before the event. As a result, setting up is uncomfortable, in either the heat or cold. How much would it cost to keep the facilities running for an extra few hours? When we asked to put on the heat earlier, he grumbled and insisted that 90 minutes beforehand was enough.
Fourth, he'll treat your guests rudely. At the moment that our event's time expired, he came into the barn, sat in a chair, put on a sour puss, complained that he wanted to go to bed, and turned off the lights on everyone. He literally made the barn dark (not only embarrassing for a host and dangerous for guests, but highly rude and unprofessional for any venue). As anyone knows who has thrown an event, the guests and caterers don't magically disappear at the end time (caterers clean up, the bar must be disassembled, the DJ takes apart the booth, the hosts say good-bye to guests, people gather their property and gifts, decor is taken down and removed, and guests (including elderly guests) make their way to exit to either drive or wait for their Ubers). The owner is not happy about any of this. He was angry that people were waiting for their Ubers (they don't always appear within 2 minutes) as they were politely departing. He was so grumpy and made passive-aggressive comments to guests as a way of pushing them out of his space.
There is 0 hospitality. The owner has a clear agenda. He has no interest in hospitality and helping people make their events successes-- he wants you in and out quickly to make money. Don't believe me? Read other reviews online-- people have complained about his disposition.
If you're spending money on a venue, make it the right one. I'd recommend other places in the area, like the Mountain Lakes House (I threw an event there and adored it), Pralsville Mill, the Morven House, etc.
In short, the farm pleasant enough, but it's not worth it when you factor the owner into the equation. read more