Jo’s thoughts: 今天你要嫁给我 (I’ll be Marrying You Today!)
Last Sunday was highly memorable because a) it was the day before my birthday b) the day after I got a horrible fever and throat infection and most importantly c) the actual day of Siew Mei and Ivan’s wedding lunch at the Grand Hyatt.
Siew Mei and Ivan are a very charming, very hands on couple whose long love affair and deep chemistry show very strongly…even leading up to the all important wedding day, both were hands-on about the song list, consulting each other and approving song suggestions together, and Ivan, obviously deeply concerned that brides can be super stressed on the big day itself (even though Siew Mei seemed cherubically calm when I met her), took over Siew Mei’s duties in briefing me before the meal began.
Obviously their friends and family thought it was an unquestionable union as well…rarely have I seen such fantastically vocal guests in their celebrations, irrespective of age. Parents as well as groomsmen and bridesmaids were cheering, especially when the Cantonese Ivan made his multilingual speech declaring his love and thanks to Siew Mei in English, Mandarin, and finally his best shot at Hainanese in deference to his lovely wife’s dialect.
It indeed was a multilingual turnout…in addition to the English and Mandarin songs Siew Mei and Ivan lovingly picked out, a game relative came up to request 2 song dedications for the couple, 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart), as well as the Hokkien 一人一半 (One Person One Half), both of which I narrowly managed to reproduce from memory (Hokkien especially I have not done for awhile!) and applauded very happily to hear these traditional Chinese wishes sung to the couple.
Then a sweet young lady came up and whispered to me that two guy friends from her table wanted to sing a Chinese or Cantonese song to their newlywed friends. Between the lady and myself, we agreed that they would sing Jolin Tsai and David Tao’s 今天你要嫁给我 (I’ll be Marrying You Today!) or Today You will be My Wife, not caring what sort of implications two strongly heterosexual men singing this song would have. They gamely came up when called and launched into a spirited and strongly applauded rendition of the song, though they could not answer, when asked later, who exactly was the wife.
It was really a very happy wedding and I only apologise that I was not on top form to commemorate the union of Siew Mei and Ivan, but I sincerely wish them a blessed life ahead, and thank them for letting me be part of such a truly joyous occasion. What a way to mark the day before my birthday and the day after my dang illness!
Band: Jo Tan, Feri
Repertoire:
My Valentine (1st march-in), I’m Yours, All My Life, Nothing’s Going To Change My Love For You, One Boy One Girl, Vincent (Starry Starry Night), L-O-V-E, Lover’s Concerto, A Whole New World, Way Back Into Love, From This Moment, 出嫁 (Getting Married), 但願人長久 (Togetherness), Endless Love, Time After Time, When You Tell Me That You Love Me, If We Hold On Together, 勇氣 (Courage), 今天你要嫁给我 (I’ll be Marrying You Today!), 喜歡你 (I Like You), 恋之憩 (Love’s Haven)
