Nassau Inn Princeton Wedding Photographer
The Nassau Inn at 10 Palmer Square in Princeton, New Jersey has been on this site since 1756. Paul Revere and Thomas Paine stayed here. Members of the Continental Congress stayed here in 1783. The Yankee Doodle Tap Room has a Norman Rockwell mural behind the bar. F. Scott Fitzgerald mentioned it in This Side of Paradise. The Prince William Ballroom has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Palmer Square, gold chandeliers, and elegant mirrors. Princeton University campus is steps away. I photographed a late-winter wedding here — brilliant cold light, a quiet campus, a timeline with room to breathe. It was exactly what “simple, quiet, classic” looks like when a venue actually delivers it.
About the Venue
10 Palmer Square, Princeton, New Jersey. First built 1756, current building opened 1938. 188 guest rooms. 14 banquet rooms and over 10,000 square feet of event space. Up to 300 guests in the Prince William Ballroom. In-house catering with multiple packages. Serendipity package starting at $159 per person. Outdoor terrace for ceremonies. Yankee Doodle Tap Room with Norman Rockwell mural for rehearsal dinners and after-parties. Princeton University campus and Palmer Square cobblestones steps away.
The Spaces
The Prince William Ballroom is the primary reception space. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Palmer Square, gold chandeliers, elegant mirrors, wall-to-wall carpeting. Up to 300 guests. Abundant natural light during the day; warm and glowing at night. The proportions are large enough for a grand celebration but warm enough that it never feels cold.
The Palmer Room is the intimate alternative for smaller receptions, ceremonies, and rehearsal dinners. Cozy, classic character with fireplace.
The outdoor terrace is the ceremony space — brick walls, stone paths, and an ivy-draped backdrop that photographs like a private garden in the middle of Princeton.
The Yankee Doodle Tap Room is the historic bar and restaurant with a Norman Rockwell mural behind the bar. Available for rehearsal dinners and informal wedding weekend gatherings.
Photography at the Nassau Inn
The Prince William Ballroom under the chandeliers and in the floor-to-ceiling window light. The outdoor terrace with its brick walls and stone paths for ceremony coverage. The Yankee Doodle Tap Room for its Norman Rockwell mural and historic bar character. And outside — Palmer Square’s cobblestone streets and colonial architecture, and Princeton University campus itself for couple portraits. The Gothic buildings, Nassau Hall, the chapel, the gardens — all within walking distance, all extraordinary in every season. In winter the campus is quiet and the light is brilliant. In fall it is extraordinary. In spring the flowers come up against the stone. There is no bad season to photograph here.
The History
The Nassau Inn site dates to 1756. Paul Revere, Robert Morris, and Thomas Paine stayed at the original inn. Members of the Continental Congress stayed here in 1783 while meeting at Nassau Hall across the street. The current building opened in 1938 as part of the Palmer Square development. The Yankee Doodle Tap Room features a large mural by Norman Rockwell behind the bar. F. Scott Fitzgerald referenced the Inn in This Side of Paradise. For couples who want a venue with genuine American history embedded in the walls, no New Jersey venue comes close to this.
Frequently Asked Questions: Nassau Inn Weddings
Where is the Nassau Inn located?
10 Palmer Square in downtown Princeton, New Jersey, directly across from Princeton University.
What is the Nassau Inn?
A historic hotel on a site dating to 1756, current building opened 1938. 188 guest rooms, 14 banquet rooms, over 10,000 square feet of event space. Prince William Ballroom up to 300 guests. Outdoor terrace for ceremonies. Yankee Doodle Tap Room with Norman Rockwell mural. In-house catering with packages starting at $159 per person. Princeton University campus steps away.
What makes the Nassau Inn distinctive?
The history is genuinely extraordinary — Paul Revere, Thomas Paine, the Continental Congress. The Norman Rockwell mural in the bar. F. Scott Fitzgerald. And the setting: Palmer Square’s cobblestones and Princeton University’s Gothic campus give couples access to portrait locations unavailable at any other New Jersey wedding venue. The combination of a warm, classic ballroom with that campus right outside is something I have not encountered elsewhere.
Is Princeton University available for wedding portraits?
Yes. The campus is public and a short walk from the Inn. Nassau Hall, the Gothic chapel, the gardens, and the tree-lined paths are all available for portrait coverage. Most couples park once for the entire weekend and explore the campus and Palmer Square on foot.
Do you photograph weddings at the Nassau Inn?
Yes. I photographed a winter wedding here and the combination of brilliant cold light, a quiet campus, and a venue with this much history was extraordinary. If your wedding is here, I would love to hear about it.
