IT WAS a triple celebration for Singapore's "getai prince".

Not only was he getting hitched, it was also his son's first-month celebration and his dad's 60th birthday.

But instead of throwing a loud and flamboyant getai-themed party befitting his background, getai organiser Aaron Tan, 33, opted for a muted affair.

This comes as a surprise to many as Mr Tan, who is also the director of Lex(s) Entertainment Productions, was the organiser of a controversial getai show earlier this year where a performer had stripped down to her sequined bra top and bikini bottom.

The groom even specifically told Royston Tan, the chief planner for the evening's programme, that he did notwant any getai-like performance.

Royston, who is the director of getai movies 881 and 12 Lotus, said:"He(Aaron) wanted something different.

He loves his wife very much and wanted to do something special for her."

The bride, Ms Yuan Jin, a famous getai performer herself, was born in Shanghai - hence the theme "Shanghai Night" for last night's dinner at Singapore Expo Hall 3.

The unusual venue was picked because Mr Tan could not find a place that was big enough toaccommodate the 226 tables he needed for more than 2,000 guests.

The eight-course banquet was well-attended by friends, relatives, people from the getai industry, local celebrities and several Members of Parliament (MPs) such as Madam Cynthia Phua and Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed.

In place of getai singers belting out popular Hokkien numbers, Mr Tan invited the band known as Sherry Vintage to play English oldies and evergreen songs.

The band's lead singer, Ms Felinda Wong, told The New Paper that she too was surprised when Mr Tan approached her to sing at his wedding.

She said that Mr Tan wanted his getai counterparts to have a nice and relaxing evening, so he did not want any loud singing or performance.

So, for the first half of the evening,Ms Wong stuck to English oldies, but they were clearly not the guests' cup of tea.

After repeated requests from the guests, the band played its first Mandarin song - Teresa Teng's I Only Care About You - halfway through the evening.

There were two segments for the evening's programme.

The first half of the night was Western-themed, while the second half was in the oriental style.

No table-to-table yam seng

Given the sheer number of tables, there was also no table-to-table toasting. The traditional "yam seng" was confined to the stage, held after the couple's solemnisation.

The only Hokkien song of the night came only in the later half of the evening. It was sung by Mr Tan, his wife, Ms Wong, and MPs Zainul Abidin and Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.

The most "getai moment" came when the bride sang Teresa Teng's Tian Mi Mi as she entered the venue with her husband and their baby boy, Jayden, accompanied by 12 dancers carrying big pink feathery fans and red ribbons.

Royston said Mr Tan had roped him in to help with the preparations because they were good friends, after working together in his movie 881.

Mr Tan was Royston's stage designer and getai consultant for both his 881 and 12 Lotus movies.

It was the director's first try at planning for a wedding dinner, and he started preparations about three months ago, with help from about five others.

He said that they were people who were also involved in 12 Lotus.

Said Royston: "Aaron is my brother and my best friend. I cannot forgive myself if I don't help him with this."