Tan Wenqi is a pharmacist and Kong Jing Wen is a medical officer. The couple first met at the pharmacy where Wenqi works. Jing Wen had a toothache and bought medicine from Wenqi that memorable day. They started chatting, and the rest, as they say, is history.
When they first went out, they sang a karaoke duet – the first of many in their dating days. Since then, singing karaoke has become their favourite pastime and the couple have even participated in a singing competition together.
The couple celebrate their shared love for karaoke at their wedding
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
The couple conveyed their love for singing, and told their love story, to the 600 guests at their dinner reception via song performances, montages and videos. “We wanted guests to leave the party knowing a bit more about us,” says Wenqi. “That way, the wedding celebration became more meaningful and memorable for them.” Indeed, these thoughtful touches made the big party more personal, as well as more fun.
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
The couple planned an eventful programme for the dinner reception, held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore. A big screen running a slideshow of the couple’s quirky pre-wedding pictures – the couple in singing poses, or dressed in Japanese garb to reflect their love for Japanese drama series – greeted guests as they stepped into the ballroom.
There was even a fun shot of Wenqi feeding Jing Wen medicine – both wearing their white lab coats – a reminder of how they met. The couple even used the same medicine for the photo shoot! Guests also watched a video made up of clips in which friends talked about the couple, and wished them well. “Our friends shared their thoughts on us; both as individuals and as a couple. The messages were funny and touching,” recalls Wenqi.
There was also an animation montage depicting the couple’s love story from the day they met to the proposal. The evening’s highlight was the couple’s two song performances. The first song they sang was one of their favourites, You’re the Most Precious; a duet by Jacky Cheung and Gao Hui Jun. The couple sang this as a montage of photos from their childhood played on the big screen in the background.
The second song was a medley of 14 different verses taken from the couple’s 13 favourite songs. The groom arranged the verses, helped by the couple’s music teacher. Jing Wen aptly titled the song 1314. In Mandarin, this sounds similar to the phrase, “yi sheng yi shi”, which means “a lifetime”. “The title symbolises our everlasting love for each other,” explains Wenqi.
The couple even recorded the songs on a CD and gave away 100 copies as an early bird special to their guests. “It was an incentive for our guests to arrive on time,” Jing Wen says. The CD gift was extra special indeed; the couple had worked hard for it, starting their weekly practice sessions with a vocal coach and piano teacher six months before the big day.
TRADITION RULES
Besides the memorable reception, the couple had a lovely, traditional “ragging” session earlier in the day – thanks to their boisterous friends who came up with all sorts of challenges for the groom and his “brothers”. Wenqi and Jing Wen also performed the usual Chinese wedding customs such as lighting a pair of bedside lamps to symbolise a blissful future with healthy offspring, and carrying a red umbrella to ward off evil spirits.
They went through the individual hair combing ritual too, where their parents recited a blessing with each stroke of the comb. “We both come from fairly traditional families, and we feel it’s important to carry on the traditions,” says Wenqi.
COP THE LOOK
Reception: Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, 22 Orange Grove Road, Tel: 6737 3644.
Gowns, suits, hair, makeup, photography and videography: Sophia Wedding Collection
43 Tanjong Pagar Road, Tel: 6323 2876.
Qipao: My Mandarin Collar, #02-04 Willyn Ville, Tel: 8383 5252; website: www.mymandarincollar.com.
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Dress Me Up, #04-66 Far East Plaza, Tel: 6235 1088; www.dressmeup.com.sg.
Band: Music Inn, 5 Pahang Street, tel: 6293-9492; email: musicinnsg@gmail.com.
Caterer: Rasel Catering Singapore, 155 Pandan Loop, Tel: 6777 7183; website: www.rasel.com.sg.
Flowers: Sing See Soon Floral and Landscape, #01-01/06, 32 Punggol East, Tel: 6285 2777; website: www.singseesoon.com.
Photo montage: Stefine Wedding, 344C King George’s Ave, King George’s Building, Tel: 6292 2523; website: www.stefine.com.
Animation montage: Rhema Media Group, #03-558 Rochor Centre, Blk 1 Rochor Road, Tel: 6734 7331; website: www.rhemavideo.com.
This article was originally published in Her World Brides March-May 2011.