At The Beginning...
A Little Dream seeks to move, inspire and engage our wedding couples and guests with the magic of live music. A professional wedding live band comprising more than 20 versatile singers, emcees, songwriters and musicians, A Little Dream provides a one-stop service for your music needs. From 2006 - 2009, A Little Dream performed at over 800 local and overseas weddings. Read about them here!
To start you off, here are our answers to your burning questions.
And do read our quick round up of 2008.
To start you off, here are our answers to your burning questions.
And do read our quick round up of 2008.
James and Kelly had a simple but cosy and heart-warming ROM ceremony on a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon, at an outdoor wooden pavillion by the poolside.
Kelly looked stunning and James was suave in an all-white ensemble. The excitement was clearly written all over the faces of the guests as they streamed in before the commencement of the ceremony. The Justice of Peace was not only humourous and dishing out words of wisdom to the newly-weds throughout the proceedings, much to the delight of the audience.
At the end of the ceremony, the newly weds walked down the aisle to rapturous applause and the strains of "From This Moment" performed by us in the background. While it was the end of a gig for us, it signified the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of 2 people.
Heartfelt congratulations to James and Kelly!
Band: Tanya, Selwyn, Clarence
L-R: Tanya, Clarence, Selwyn
Repertoire:
遇见 (Encounter), 小情歌 (Little Love Song), More Than Words, For All We Know, Greatest Story Ever Told, 小手拉大手 (Small Hands Holding Big Hands), Pachelbel's Canon (march-in), From This Moment
Compliments:
Dear A Little Dream,
Heartfelt thanks for providing a fitting atmosphere to our solemnization ceremony. Despite hiccups with timings and sound, Kelly and I were deeply moved by the band's performance, particularly Kelly, who was so emotional during the march-in she couldn't smile. Indeed it has been her little dream come true.
Although we did not have the chance to stay to enjoy the music and get to know the band as much as we really wanted to, please accept our heartfelt thanks for the preparations behind the scenes, and indeed leaving a deep impact on us in a subtle, sweet way.
Kelly and I express regret for not properly introducing ourselves to the band (all a bunch of nerves) and the band to the audience. Regardless, without your help, our little dream wedding would not have come true.
Thank you so much Tanya, Clarence and Selwyn, who made the difference to our special day.
James and Kelly
When I first walked into the ballroom, I was very welcomed by the refreshingly colourful decoration of white and blue balloons. The even more amazing thing was, there were matching blue table napkins!
While Mandy and her father marched-in to the band's performance of 'Lover's Concerto', John waited
The solemnisation and worship took place soon after, with the couple's dearest to witness the union.
The feast started about an hour later, which was when the band started its first set of performance. I helped Mandy to dedicate the first song "妈妈我爱你" to their parents, for their unconditional love.
The 2nd march-in was a bomb. The male emcee, Victor, 'sabo-ed' the couple to 'salsa-in'. Though that sounded scary at first listen, Victor knew better, because he is actually John's dancing coach! The couple gamely did an excellent salsa dance, much to everyone's delight!
The speech was certainly one highlight for the whole event. John's romantic streak was hard to conceal during the speech. He thanked Mandy's parents for his wife, because Mandy really is his 'sunshine'. John then spontaneously broke into this song to truly convey the message across:
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
To people who had asked him why he loves Mandy, John recounted his experience of asking Mandy out for a second date: Mandy cut him short and asked him to stop saying 'poetry' to her. Yet when John started talking to her like normal people do after that episode, Mandy complained. At that point, John instantly recited a poem, looking into her eyes without a flicker. He even said 'I love you' in English, Japanese, Korean, Malay, French, and Mandarin (and goodness knows what I missed out).
That just might hold the record for the longest serenade I have ever witnessed. And it did not end there. John proceeded to break into the song Loving You':
Stay with me while we grow old and we will live each day in springtime
Cause lovin' you has made my life so beautiful
And every day my life...
He then trailed off and signaled to Mandy to sing the song's signature whistling tone. When Mandy protested, he retorted in jest, "You like to sing that part right?"
I think being able to be yourselves on your big day is very important! :D
The couple also took the initiative to dedicate some songs with the help of the band:
All My Life from Mandy to John
When You Say You Love Me to Lord Jesus Christ
Friends to all their friends.
Thank you John and Mandy, both Ein Ein and I had a smashing time attending and performing at your wedding. All the best!
L-R: Ein, John, Mandy, Bevlyn. We look like dwarves standing next to them :)
Band: Bevlyn and Ein Ein
Repertoire:
Lover's Concerto, 妈妈我爱你 (Mommy, I Love You), All My Life, What A Difference A Day Made, You're The Sunshine Of My Life, L-O-V-E, There's A Kind Of Hush, Come Away With Me, Close To You, You Belong To Me, Everything, Better Together
When You Say You Love Me, Friends, Quando Quando Quando, You And Me Song, I'm Yours, Grow Old With You, It Had To Be You, Unforgettable, Just The Way You Are, La Vie En Rose
Violin and guitar surprise wedding gifts are turning out to be quite enjoyable indeed. This lunchtime solemnization at the Amara turned out to be a simple but celebratory affair. There was a sense of straightforward elegance in the whole arrangement: the ceremony was a short one, and the guests seemed to be only the closest family and friends. But the small gathering made everything much more intimate, from the quiet hush of the guests when the solemniser was speaking, to the little boy in his smart bowtie and vest, to the warm greetings and congratulations at the door from aunts to their happy niece.
For Feri and I, it was fun just being part of such a quiet little event, when we did not have to fill up a whole ballroom with our sound, and could play around with a quainter sound without feeling too conspicuous. Swing numbers like Fly Me To The Moon and L-O-V-E were kept light and bubbly, while we took the liberty to infuse a bit of Latin styling into the boyband ballad Every Day I Love You.
It was encouraging too to receive applause from guests as it felt more personal. We both left afterward with a feeling of fuzzy goodness which, at least for me, carried on through the rest of the day.
Band: Shoujie, Feri
L-R: Sam, Nelly, Shoujie, Feri
Repertoire:
Can't Help Falling In Love (1st March-in), Fly Me To The Moon, Because You Loved Me, Every Day I Love You, Grow Old With You, Love Me Tender, L-O-V-E, The Way You Look Tonight, Wonderful Tonight
Compliments from Nelly:
Hi A Little Dream,
Thanks for making our ROM ceremony a memorable one. Was very touched when my aunt told me that she will be giving me a surprise on my ROM. But never had a thought that she had arranged a live band. It a big gift to us!
Special thanks to Shoujie and Feri, you had made our simple ceremony a warm and touching one.
Remembered a few songs that you had played, "Wonderful Tonight" and the march-in song "Can't Help Falling In Love", really very touching moments. These are the songs I can't forget.
Thanks again.
Best Regards,
Nelly & Sam
Our website: www.ours.sg
Thanks for inviting us to be the official band for your upcoming wedding fair!
More details here:
To our couples: see you soon!
Scoff all you want, but Disney songs add a particular touch of fantasy and magic to weddings.
Mei Ling is surely a fan of Disney musicals, because she chose Can You Feel The Love Tonight? (from The Lion King), Beauty And The Beast and Somewhere Out There (from An American Tail).
It was a challenging task to perform these songs by myself; thankfully, I had Matthew as my keyboardist. His talented fingers wove a intricate tapestry of music which gave me room to interpret the songs in my own way.
The evening was made all the more special when Cyril, the romantic groom, decided to surprise Mei Ling by singing a song! He chose a 新谣 (loosely translated as Singapore Folk Music) classic called 你的倒影 (Your Shadow). Even though he was singing to a crowd of very 200 people, his confident delivery drew enthusiastic applause from the guests.
Congratulations Cyril and Mei Ling! Thank you for engaging us to brighten your evening with live music!
P.S. Special thanks to Jeffrey, the banquet manager, for being so friendly, and plying us with drinks throughout the night!
Band: Hsin Yeow, Matthew
L-R: Hsin Yeow, Cyril, Mei Ling, Matthew
Repertoire:
Till The End (1st march-in), Masterpiece, 雨过天晴 (After The Rain), Close To You, Beauty And The Beast, Somewhere Out There, Paint My Love, Lovin' You, 豆浆油条 (Soya Bean and Fritters), 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart)
Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Shower Me With Your Love, Love Me, The Wedding, Beautiful In My Eyes, Tonight I Celebrate My Love, The Way You Look At Me, My Valentine, 嫁给我 (Marry Me), 追 (Chase), 爱是永恒 (Love Is Eternal)
Song To Recommend:
雨过天晴 - I fell in love with the melody upon first listen, so I was excited to be able to perform it at a wedding!
Wedding Tip:
Perform to your spouse on your wedding day!
Coming soon!
Band: Eleanor, Jonathan Lim, Matthew
L-R: Matthew, Eleanor, Cindy, Alan, Jonathan Lim
Repertoire:
What A Difference A Day Made (1st March-in), Always True To You In My Fashion, Dream a Little Dream, Fly Me to the Moon, Girl From Ipanema, (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons, I've Got You Under My Skin, Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love), Moon River, You Light Up My Life
When I Fall In Love (2nd March-in), L-O-V-E, Our Love is Here to Stay, Paper Moon, Someone to Watch Over Me, Cheek To Cheek, So Nice, Sway, What A Wonderful World, Top Of The World, Only You
Funky. Out-of-the-box. Those are the words I would use to describe Sabrina and Shawn's wedding. Oh, and Rectangular Tables. Round tables, which are a fixture at traditional Chinese dinners, were nowhere to be found at the unconventional wedding celebration. According to Sabrina, those were reserved for her first wedding dinner, on the 17th, which was organised for their family members. Her second, held on the 18th and in the same venue as the first, was strictly for friends only.
Another example of the couple's creativity: they tied up with Mentos to produce personalised door gifts for their friends! Each guest was given a stick of Mentos sweets with the familiar looking wrapper, but with prints that say: Shawn and Sabrina 'mint to be'. 18 June 2006. Chewy Peppermint Dragees. Best before 19 June 2006. Thank you for sharing our special day!
Although the band had performed at the Amara Hotel earlier this month, I was thrilled to find out that this time, we were to sing in a pavilion at the poolside, with the guests surrounding us!
It turned out that the band wasn't the only form of entertainment. The couple's friends also planned two special surprises for the evening. One was for the band to sing a birthday song for Shawn (his birthday falls on 18th June) for their 2nd march-in. It worked wonderfully! Shawn looked bewildered as we sang and beckoned him towards the pavilion, where his birthday cake was waiting for him.
The second 'conspiracy' was to ask Shawn and Sabrina to perform an impromptu rendition of Something Stupid. The couple were sporting enough to take up the challenge, and with some help from Junxiong and me, they managed to sing the entire song. They even did a bit of dancing in between!
Shawn then gave a very touching speech, in which he explained the reason why they chose to solemnise their wedding on 17th of June was because Sabrina's birthday was on the 16th, and his was on the 18th!
The final surprise of the evening was a video of how Shawn spent his stag night. It showed footage of Shawn vomiting in a toilet somewhere (yes, the camera zoomed in on what he passed out!) and him standing against the wall, drunk and helpless. Though Shawn was stunned into silence at first, he took it in good stride and laughed at himself along with the others.
These are what memories are made of. :-)
Take a look at the happy couple below:
Did I mention that Sabrina is a Singaporean Chinese while Shawn is Sri Lankan? They looked amazing that night!
Band: Bevlyn, Jun Xiong, Jonathan Ang, Wilson
L-R: Jun Xiong, Bevlyn, Sabrina, Shawn, Wilson and Jonathan
Repertoire:
These Are The Moments, A Love That Will Last, Beautiful In My Eyes, Fly Me To The Moon, Beyond The Sea, Love Will Keep Us Alive, My Cherie Amour, From This Moment, For The First Time, Something About You, Your Song, A Moment Like This, L.O.V.E, C’est Si Bon, I Wanna Make It With You, We’ve Only Just Begun, Come What May, (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons, Wonderful Tonight, Something Stupid
Wedding Tips:
(1) Have separate celebrations for friends and relatives if possible. You can let your hair down with a friends-only party!
(2) Think of creative wedding favours
(3) Celebrate your birthday if it happens to fall on your wedding day
(4) Be sporting if asked to sing a song; get the band to help you!
Compliments from Sabrina:
The band did a GREAT job at our wedding. You guys surprised us though, by asking us to perform Something Stupid. Our guests are still talking about our "awful" rendition till this day. Your presence and performance made all the difference to our celebrations. Thank you for making our night even more special.
Jean engaged our band as a surprise wedding gift for Dave. Which meant that the band members had to sneak into the hotel kitchen and hide while Dave was in the ballroom. Luckily, we had eaten earlier, otherwise, our stomachs would have growled in protest!
Dave, looking surprised and happy, when he entered the ballroom with Jean!
I couldn't see whether Dave was surprised when he and Jean marched-in to the live performance of Lover's Concerto, but he was definitely caught off-guard when I asked him to help me out with singing <<雨衣>> (Raincoat). It's a beautiful song about the love between a parent and a child, and I was to sing it after Dave's thank-you speech. But Jean and I felt that it would be more sincere and meaningful if Dave were to perform it himself.
To give him credit, Dave stepped up to the microphone and sang it without hesitation. What a sporting guy!
Dave singing the song <<雨衣>> (Raincoat)
Band: Hsin Yeow, Hui Bing, June and Ji Xiang
L-R: Hsin Yeow and Hui Bing
June (keyboardist) and Ji Xiang (guitarist)
Repertoire:
Lover’s Concerto (1st March), 如果的事 (If This Happens), 理想情人 (My Ideal Lover), 坚持到底 (Persevere Till The End), 镇守爱情 (Steadfast In Our Love), 花好月圆夜 (An Auspicious Night), 你是我老婆 (You Are My Wife), 明天的幸福 (Tomorrow's Happiness), 爱是你眼里的一首情歌 (Love Is A Song In Your Eyes), 小夫妻 (Couple), 爱的路上只有我和你 (There's Only The Two Of Us On This Road), 雨衣 (Rain Coat)
In many ways, this was the most meaningful set of songs I've performed so far. Jean was painstaking in her research, and chose each song based on how it fits into their love story. Read on!
( Love Story of Dave and Jean )
Song To Recommend:
雨衣 (lyrics) - A touching tribute to parents.
Wedding Tips:
(1) Select songs based on your love story
(2) Pay tribute to your parents by performing to them
Compliments from Jean:
Having read through the good reviews in the bridal forum, I decided to engage A Little Dream as a surprise for my Hubby.
I did not want a really dramatic surprise but something that would be a memorable gift.
I am someone who does things by gut feelings, and although I did have my hesitation initially, I was pretty confident that I made the right choice after speaking with Hsin Yeow.
Hsin Yeow takes the initiative to call up for discussions and e-mail me his song list, even to the extent of contacting my hotel wedding planner for the required logistics preparation.
Hsin Yeow even took up a challenge of singing a dialect song that was not his mother tongue and made no qualms about it. I really appreciate the effort of doing so.
The wedding banquet itself was even more challenging they had to enter from the hotel kitchen in order not to be seen by my Hubby.... and I only knew about the 委屈 (ordeal) after reading this blog... and not a word about it was mentioned to me at all...
What I paid for was worthwhile... I had the mindset that most guests would not bother to listen to what the band was playing, and I might end up being the only one to enjoy the performance. To my surprise, most of my guests (who are my parents' friends and relatives in their 50s and above) gave me feedback that they enjoyed the songs!
I would like to thank them for the effort and it was certainly a memorable gift for my Hubby!
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