Justine Valunas
I did not exactly choose hospitality. I grew up in it. Some of my earliest memories are surrounded by restaurants, family gatherings, food, celebration, and the kind of hospitality where everyone had a seat at the table and nobody left without being taken care of.
Growing up in a Connecticut restaurant family taught me something that still shapes the way I approach weddings today.
The details matter.
But how people feel matters even more. That belief eventually became
From Scratch Events.
Hospitality Has Always Been Personal to Me
Long before I became a wedding planner, I was the person thinking ahead.
Who needs something?
What are we forgetting?
Is everyone comfortable?
What needs to happen next so everyone else can simply enjoy themselves?
That instinct eventually led me into a career in luxury hotels and restaurants, where I learned what exceptional hospitality really looks like behind the scenes.
During my time at one of New England’s most celebrated hospitality destinations, I worked in an environment recognized by Wine Spectator, Forbes, Vogue, and the Michelin Guide.
It taught me that the most elevated experiences are rarely the ones that feel complicated.
They feel effortless.
The guest should never see the scramble. They should simply feel taken care of.
That is exactly how I want you to feel on your wedding day.
Why I Created From Scratch Events
I created From Scratch Events because I wanted professional wedding planning to feel more personal.
Not intimidating.
Not overly formal.
Not like you are handing your wedding over to someone who suddenly wants to turn it into their wedding.
And definitely not like you need an unlimited budget to deserve exceptional service.
I wanted to create the kind of planning relationship where you can send the random question that has been sitting in your head all day.
Where someone will tell you when something is absolutely worth spending money on and when it is absolutely not.
Where you can say, “I have no idea what I am supposed to do here,” and know that somebody does.
Where a vendor problem does not automatically become your problem.
And where you finally have someone else thinking three steps ahead with you.
Because at some point, wedding planning stops being exciting Pinterest boards and champagne tastings.
It becomes contracts, deadlines, guest questions, family opinions, timelines, logistics, payments, vendor communication, and a hundred tiny decisions competing for your attention.
You do not have to carry all of that by yourself.
That is where I come in.
Think Professional Planner, Best Friend Energy
My couples get the organization and experience of a professional planner with the honesty, accessibility, and personal care of someone who is genuinely in their corner.
I will celebrate the exciting parts with you.
I will tell you when I think something is worth it.
I will also tell you when I think you are about to spend money on something nobody will notice.
I will listen when something does not feel right.
I will help you sort through the opinions when everyone suddenly has one.
And when you reach the point where you simply cannot make another wedding decision, I can step in and help make sense of it.
My job is not to take your wedding away from you.
My job is to make sure planning it does not take over your life.
Your Wedding Should Actually Feel Like You
I am not interested in creating the same beautiful wedding over and over again.
I want to know what you love.
What you hate.
What you keep saving to TikTok.
What traditions mean something to your family.
What you secretly do not care about, even though everyone keeps telling you that you should.
What you want your guests talking about on the drive home.
And what part of wedding planning you would happily never think about again.
Then we build from there.
Sometimes that means preserving a tradition exactly as it has always been done.
Sometimes it means completely reinventing it.
Usually, the most memorable weddings live somewhere in between.
That is where tradition meets creativity.
More Than Wedding Planning
My role looks a little different for every couple.
Sometimes you have planned nearly everything yourself and need someone you trust to take over the details so you can finally become the bride instead of the person running the event.
Sometimes you need structure, deadlines, guidance, and someone keeping everything moving before wedding planning starts to feel overwhelming.
Sometimes you need help with stationery, guest communication, RSVPs, venue tours, vendor coordination, rehearsals, styling, timelines, or all the little details nobody warned you were part of planning a wedding.
And sometimes you want to hand me the whole thing and say, “Please figure this out.”
I can do that too.
Because wedding planning is not really just about flowers, floor plans, and timelines.
It is about protecting your time.
Your money.
Your relationships.
Your peace of mind.
And your ability to actually enjoy the reason you are doing all of this in the first place.
You are getting married.
My Promise to You
I will care about the details.
I will tell you the truth.
I will respect your budget.
I will advocate for what matters to you.
I will think about the things you have not thought about yet.
I will handle problems without unnecessarily making them your problems.
And when your wedding day finally arrives, I want something very specific for you.
I want your brain to turn off.
No wondering whether the photographer knows where to go.
No checking whether the tables are set correctly.
No answering vendor questions while someone is trying to curl your hair.
No looking at the clock every ten minutes.
No trying to figure out who is supposed to cue the ceremony.
You should be getting dressed.
Laughing with your people.
Holding someone’s hand because suddenly it is all very real.
Taking the picture.
Drinking the champagne.
Walking down the aisle.
And wondering how the day is already going by so quickly.
I will handle the rest.