ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS - Nicole Oppelt, owner of Dovetail Vintage Rentals, got her start in the gala furniture renting industry because she loved to throw parties and take part in planning special occasions.

“Growing up, I jumped at any chance I could get to throw a party,” Oppelt said. “No matter who it was for, anyone in my family or just a close friend, I loved to make a big deal of it and I really got into the process of preparing it, no matter how big or small the event.”

Oppelt grew up as a part of her family’s recycling business, Bayshore Recycling, in Woodbridge.

“I grew up with two parents who worked all the time,” Oppelt said. “In high school, after cheerleading practice, I would go over there and help out, mainly answering the phones, while doing my homework. I’ve always had my feet in the family business and I kept doing it even after I graduated college. It would give me the experience I needed to eventually venture out on my own.”

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Oppelt gained experience and developed her own work ethic, which she believes is crucial to owning and running any establishment.

“Time management is really important , but I figured out a way to make it work,” Oppelt said. “I had to get my priorities in order and gain a perspective about what to focus on and pay attention to, in terms of my responsibilities. I understood how to meet my goals and how to keep a business afloat. It took some time, but my parents were the best teachers and I constantly learned from them.”

'I knew I had something in me'

While attending Monmouth University, Oppelt took time off from working for her parents’ business to focus her efforts on her studies and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management and public relations in 2010.

“During college, I focused primarily on school,” Oppelt said. “I worked a little retail in proximity to where I went to school, just to have some extra cash in my pocket. It was important for me to make my own way and do something on my own because I knew I had something in me that was original and had promise.”

After graduating, Oppelt went back to working with her parents in their business, but this time, she had responsibilities tailored to her own skill set acquired from her time at college.

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“As soon as I started, I took it upon myself to redesign their website and redo their branding, which they won awards for afterwards,” Oppelt said. “I believe what I did was definitely impactful and I enjoyed having something new to add to the mix, after coming back from attending school. I think I gave it a fresh look and I put a different spin their already well-known, existing business.”

While working for her parents, Oppelt started an event-planning side business called NE Occasion in 2015.

“I didn’t start out doing it full-time, but I got my first client at that time,” Oppelt said. “It was a lot of word of mouth and referrals, and it was challenging. I eventually decided to pursue it all the way after I got more clientele. I would work nights and weekends, planning the events. I made it work.”

Oppelt had her first daughter in 2018, but that didn't stop her from pursuing a dream to branch out.

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“Even though I had my hands full with every aspect of my life, I still knew that I could do more,” Oppelt said. “I decided to do something different and create Dovetail Vintage Rentals in 2018. We started with just a warehouse in Red Bank that wasn’t in very good shape. Eventually, I graduated to a nice showroom in Atlantic Highlands in 2021 and we have been there ever since.”

'You cannot get them anywhere else'

The business rents furniture for special occasions, such as weddings, baby showers or just your basic birthday party. It's more than just chairs and tables. Customers can rent rugs, wall art, accessories, faux plants and shelving, to name a few items.

“We have furniture ranging from vintage and one-of-a-kind bars, shelving, tables, chairs and couches,” Oppelt said. “A lot of the planning for the event is done online by choosing the amount of furniture you need according to how many people will be attending the event. The storefront comes in handy because the customers throwing the event can come into our location and physically touch what they could only see online. It’s a nice blending together of customers seeing and feeling the furniture they want for their special occasion.”

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Looking back, Oppelt is happy with her current progress and the success of her business, but her planning isn’t quite done yet.

“I would love to expand our inventory and find a second location,” Oppelt said. “I am not sure where that second location will be and who I would choose to run it. There is a need for it because our pieces are so beautiful and unique that you cannot get them anywhere else.”

Dovetail Vintage Rentals

Location: 4 West Garfield Ave., Atlantic Highlands

Website: www.dovetailvintage.com

Hours: By appointment

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Dovetail Vintage in Atlantic Highlands rents furnishings for parties