Hsin Yeow’s thoughts: Crazy Little Thing Called Love
It was not the typical speech. Alan was a master of deadpan humour, and it showed in the way he delivered punchlines when you least expected it. He also spoke eloquently about his love and gratitude to his mother, and I could see her dabbing away some tears.
Apart from Alan’s speech, I will also remember the exuberant reaction of the guests to the dance numbers. When Angie and Alan first told me about the dance segment, I was worried that no one would join the couple on the dance floor. My worries proved to be unfounded. By the time Bevlyn reached the chorus of We’ve Only Just Begun, the dance floor was packed to the brim!
When I started singing Sway and Crazy Little Things Called Love, the excitement really kicked up a few notches. Guests were singing along with me while cha cha cha-ing, twirling or shaking their booties! It was such a rare and amazing thing to witness at a local wedding, you just had to be there to believe it!
Apart from what Hsin Yeow had highlighted, I think another special ‘high’ of the night was when Angie surprised Alan with the song L-O-V-E. She had secretly taken 5 minutes (only) to practise the song with us less than two hours to their 1st march-in!
I have to say that most grooms are hesitant about performing publicly, hence I’m sure Angie’s gesture of love would have touched Alan and the guests, who clapped along in elation.
Band: Hsin Yeow, Bevlyn and Ein Ein
Repertoire:
La Vie En Rose (1st march-in), She, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Love Me, Valentine, Wonderful Tonight, 至少还有你 (At Least There Is You), Amazed, 我愿意 (I’m Willing), Put Your Head On My Shoulder, 但愿人长久 (May All Live Well and Long), Have I Told You Lately?, 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart)
Here and Now (2nd march-in), We’ve Only Just Begun (1st dance), Sway (Group dance), Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Group dance), C’est Si Bon, Cheek To Cheek, Fly Me To The Moon, When I Fall In Love, The Way You Look Tonight, You Are So Beautiful, Come What May
Songs to Recommend:
Put Your Head On My Shoulder – This song was my introduction to Michael Bublé, and I was immediately hooked on his smooth-as-silk vocals. Bublé’s phrasing is distinctive, and his superb cover of this Paul Anka’s classic gives it new life.
And yes, I know the song is about a person in love with another who doesn’t quite see it yet. But who knows? Perhaps Alan was in that situation before, just that he managed to win Angie’s heart in the end.
Wedding Tips:
(1) Inject a little humour in your speech
(2) If your guests are the kind to dance, make sure the band’s repertoire includes dance music
(3) Surprise your spouse by singing to him!
Compliments from Alan:
If I recall correctly, it was back in August this year that my wife and I were pondering if we should engage a band to sing at our wedding dinner. My wife did a lot of research on many of the bands available here. Although we eventually narrowed our selection to A Little Dream, we were still a little worried as their performance would be crucial in attaining the desired atmosphere during our dinner. To relieve our concerns, we requested to listen to Bevlyn’s performance and to observe them during one of their rehearsal sessions. Both Hsin Yeow and Bevlyn were extremely accommodating and even sang some of the songs we planned to include in our repertoire.
It turned out that choosing A Little Dream was one of the best decisions we had made. Bevlyn’s heavenly voice was fantastic and Hsin Yeow deep vocals were excellent. My all-time favorites are La Vie En Rose and 但愿人长久 (May All Live Well and Long). Both songs are very meaningful, describing deep & everlasting love between two people. It was a very moving experience for me to listen to A Little Dream perform them. The pairing of Bevlyn and Hsin Yeow was so ideal that it is beyond all doubts they were more than capable of bringing out the best in all the songs we chose. Our guests gave very good feedback on the band’s ability to perform.
A Little Dream was highly professional, creative & accommodating. They were more than just a band playing. Their finesse in setting the right tempo throughout the evening was remarkable. I would definitely highly recommend them to anyone who wishes to engage the best band in town.
Compliments from Angie:
The beginning & change of plan:
Originally I wanted a jazz band, as it added a nice classy touch to a wedding dinner I attended some years back. But after attending a charity ball earlier this year which had a live performance, Alan & I were inspired by the kind of energy and positive response the performers had on the guests. It was then that we decided to have a live band perform at our wedding dinner. We wanted our wedding dinner to be different from the typical wedding dinner with the typical dinner agenda (which usually involves yum seng after yum seng, cheesy games and distasteful humour); we didn’t want to end up with a room full of guests waiting desperately for the dessert dish to come so they could go home after an evening of boredom (I remember being bored out of my brains at most Chinese wedding dinners and vow never to make our guests feel that they would rather be some place else) and we wanted to add magic to an already magical evening.
A radical move:
So after doing quite a fair bit of research online, I got in touch with Hsin Yeow, and the rest is history. Like Alan said, it was one of the best decisions we’ve made for our wedding day. Since there was a band, there had to be dancing and I knew some of my relatives would be sporting enough to get down and boogie on the dance floor. My parents too had dancing at their wedding dinner years back so I guess it’s not that uncommon for us to have had a little dancing during our wedding.
Magic moments:
A Little Dream made our wedding dinner a magical memory, which will remain in our hearts as well as our guests. We marched in to La Vie En Rose serenaded by Bevlyn, whose crystal clear yet husky (don’t ask me how she does it) voice shall ring in my ears for a long time to come. Hsin Yeow’s soulful voice added depth to the songs and when he dedicated me the song She, I stopped breathing for a few moments and just let myself get lost in the song.
Comments to individuals:
To Hsin Yeow: I originally chose Put Your Head on My Shoulder as I liked the melody and the slowness of the song. After reading your comments on this song, I went, “Hey! Oh My Goodness – He’s spot on!” Alan apparently started liking me 3 months before we were formally introduced to one another. Isn’t that right sweetie? Hehee… So, Hsin Yeow, you’ve just added even more meaning to our repertoire.
To Hsin Yeow, Bevlyn and Ein Ein: Thank you so much for being so supportive, professional and accommodating. It’s been a real pleasure working with you and I wish you all continue to do what you do best – bringing a smile to people’s face through your music. I’m looking forward to watching the video footage of the wedding dinner as I want to hear you guys sing! Didn’t get a chance to do much of that during the dinner.
To couples who are still scouting around: If you’re truly looking for a live band who will make a world of difference to your wedding dinner, A Little Dream is just a phone call away. All I ask is that you ensure your guests are spontaneous, appreciative of music and willing to show these musicians and vocalists the support and respect they truly deserve. They are a bunch of talented individuals, who literally make music when they come together…
