Fonté Fleur was founded by Heather Duby-Tharpe many moons ago. Heather is a self proclaimed flower snob, born and raised in the very rural central coast region of California, where her 10 years in 4-H started her love of flowers.
She is a 30 year designer in the floral industry, specializing in Weddings and Events. Her career began as a High School freshman, in the sole flower shop of a tiny town on the central coast beach town of Cambria, CA. The shop started as a little mobile flower cart on the corner of the main drag through town but quickly grew into a tin roofed converted barn.
Heather's career has spanned multiple markets across California, Michigan, and South Carolina. Her time in Southern California provided for extensive experience designing and executing luxury celebrity weddings, red carpet gift lounges, movie and television awards shows like the Emmy's, corporate events like YAHOO!, bar mitzvah/bat mitzvah celebrations, quinceaneras, and charitable and non-profit fundraising galas. The excitement of designing arrangements for celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Betty White, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Sylvester Stalone, and Jennifer Aniston were all highlights of her time there.
After a wonderful near decade of working as a lead designer for a prominent Charleston based florist, where she also was the instructor for the floral design program of a local college, she decided it was time to spread her wings and start her own floral business.
When Heather isn't slinging flowers for herself or a number of her brilliant floral designer friends, you can find her at her jewelry bench, playing with her torch and banging on metal as she says. She is a metalsmith working with precious metals and premium ethically sourced gemstons. She also preserves florals from weddings and sympathy pieces to create keepsakes, either in frames, shadowboxes, or resin.
When she is not working you can find her spending time with her husband of 20 years or her two beautiful young lady daughters, extended family, girl squad she lovingly refers to as "The Crazies," or any number of her amazing friends she cherishes. In the fall you can find her cheering (or yelling at the TV) for her beloved San Francisco 49ers with gusto. She may also be smack talking her husband and youngest daughter as they cheer for their Buffalo Bills.