Meet Sam Hwang & Trisha Smith | Entrepreneurs & Business Partners

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sam Hwang & Trisha Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sam Hwang & Trisha Smith, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
We’ve always been big fans of dinner parties—it’s kind of our thing! Over the years, we’ve thrifted a ton of vintage tabletop treasures to make each gathering feel special. As content creators, we’ve also worked with brands like Anthropologie Home and Savers Thrift to throw dreamy dinner parties for their campaigns, so let’s just say, we’ve accumulated a lot of dishware.

Fast forward to September 2023, we were wandering through Savers Thrift Store when we spotted the most adorable chocolate fondue pot with hand-painted strawberries. Naturally, our creative gears started turning—what kind of dinner party theme could we build around this gem? A few minutes later, we found ourselves chatting about how we wished we could put all our dishware to better use. Let’s be real: it’s not exactly practical for most people to buy new tabletop items for a single occasion. That’s when Sam had the lightbulb moment: “What if we rented it all out? You know, everything… for the table!” Our eyes lit up, and in that moment, the idea was born. The rest? Well, that’s history in the making!

What should our readers know about your business?
When we started For The Table, our plan was simple: cater to dinner parties with up to 35 guests. Easy, right? Well, that idea went out the window pretty quickly, along with the months we spent crafting our original business plan. Turns out, there was a huge gap in the wedding and event industry when it came to custom event rentals, and we knew we had to fill it. Most standard tabletop rental companies are super straightforward—you pick from a basic selection of glassware, plates, linens etc, choose your rental period, and that’s pretty much it. But we wanted to throw those “industry standards” out the window (along with our old plan) and give our clients something different—a rental experience as unique as their vision.

At For The Table, we source funky, vintage, and one-of-a-kind pieces you can rent directly from our site. Got a wild idea or need something totally out of the box? We’ve got you covered. We’ve done everything from hand-painted name place cards on linens to custom-designed tablescapes for Duffy boats, to creating on site newspaper table runners.. We’ve even gone on countless treasure hunts to source vintage items to make our clients’ dreams come to life. Whatever it takes, we’re here for it. Being a team of two hasn’t always been easy, but nothing is more rewarding than watching a client see their tablescape IRL for the first time and that’s why we do what we do.

We’ve learned a lot of lessons this past year but one of the biggest lessons leans into the more personal side of our business. Before we launched For The Table we’d always hear, “being business partners is like being in a marriage”. Fast forward to today, we are big advocates of that phrase.

We first connected on Instagram in 2018, became inseparable in 2020, and now we’re basically in a business marriage. This past year, we’ve had to navigate a whole new dynamic. We’ve learned each other’s strengths and weaknesses, figured out how to keep business disagreements from effecting our friendship, and, through trial and error (and maybe a few extra “work happy hours”), we’ve figured out how to work as a solid team.

Of course, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Sometimes it feels like we’re an old married couple—finishing each other’s sentences one moment and arguing about flatware placement the next. But if this past year has taught us anything, it’s that our partnership is rock solid. Just like For The Table, our friendship is built to last and will only get stronger with time (and maybe a few less arguments over whether the glasses should be stemmed or stemless).

We’re coming up on our one year business anniversary, we joke we’ve lived a lot of life this year and while that’s true we’ve also made a lot of good memories. For The Table will continue to change and grow like we have throughout this past year. But one things for certain, we’re up for the challenge of providing everything you need and more, for the table.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Both of us have bounced around Orange County and Los Angeles over the years, but Orange County definitely has a few small businesses we’ve grown to absolutely love. If we were hosting someone for a weekend, we’d start the day with coffee—because, obviously—and head to one of our favorite spots: Work In Progress or Micro Dose in Costa Mesa. Both have the perfect vibe to kickstart your day.

From there, we’d grab lunch at Uroko Cafe, which we firmly believe are the best poke bowls in OC. Pro tip: take your bowls down to Newport Beach and rent a cruiser bike to explore the area. If you’re feeling adventurous, driving down the coast to Crystal Cove National Park is a must. They have picnic tables overlooking the ocean, and we’ve spent countless summer evenings there, enjoying the sunset with friends.

To wrap up the day, we’d head to Green Cheek Brewery. Their lavender lemonade seltzers are out of this world, and their Hexagon Supreme (a vegetarian spin on the crunch wrap) is chef’s kiss.

Orange County is full of hidden gems, and if you visit, we guarantee you won’t leave hungry. Plus, you’ll get to support some amazing small businesses.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We always joke we’re just two silly girls with a big dream, but we wouldn’t be where we are today without the endless love, support, and patience of our families and loved ones.

Whenever we’ve thrown a dinner party, our friends and family have been there—early, dressed in whatever wild theme we gave them, ready to set up, and always willing to help clean up after. Throughout this year our loved ones have been our unofficial event crew. Whether it was a wedding or a small gathering, they showed up to help—steaming tablecloths, setting up champagne towers, and tackling anything we threw their way, all with smiles on their faces. Let’s be real, they probably didn’t sign up for that, but they’ve been absolute champs.

And we can’t forget about our significant others. They’ve been ridiculously patient as our little business grew from intimate dinner parties to weddings for 150+ guests. We quickly outgrew our 10×10 storage unit, which meant our homes started looking more like tabletop warehouses. Yet somehow, they’ve rolled with it—helping us clean up after events, working weekends, and cheering us on through the chaos. Honestly, we don’t know how they’ve put up with us, but we’re so grateful they have. They’ve been our rock, our cheerleaders, and the ultimate team players, and we’re lucky to have them in our corner.

Website: https://www.forthetable.club/

Instagram: https://Forthetable.club

Image Credits
Photographers IG:
Tessamarieephoto
Hannawalkowaik
Kaylagoetzcreative
Taylorjaxsonphotography
Cannedcloseup