She regrets 'I'll drink alcohol for her' promise

Hebe Tien from Taiwanese girl group S.H.E is confident of holding her liquor.

So much so that she declared to the Chinese media: "On Selina's wedding night, I will down all the alcohol on her behalf."

That bravado came a month ago, when the 28-year-old was promoting her second solo album, My Love, in Shanghai.

She was, of course, referring to the upcoming nuptials of gal pal and S.H.E bandmate Selina Jen, 29, who will walk down the aisle next Monday with her lawyer fiance Richard Chang.

Tien and 30-year-old Ella Chen - also part of the pop dance trio - are Jen's bridesmaids.

However, with less than a week to go before Jen's big day, Tien is feeling the nerves.

"To be honest, I'm kind of regretting that decision," she sheepishly told The New Paper over the phone from Taipei.

"I agreed to do it then, because there really is no one else who can drink better than I can.

"My tolerance for alcohol is at least three times better than Ella's...Ella is very bold and she'll definitely volunteer to drink Selina's share, but one or two glasses later, she'll feel sleepy and conk out in a corner."

As Jen is still recuperating from the third-degree burns she suffered in an on-set explosion in Shanghai last year, she is unable to consume alcohol.

Chinese wedding dinners are synonymous with rounds and rounds of toasting and Tien badly wanted to "protect" Jen from these unhealthy temptations.

Now she is worried about getting intoxicated herself.

"Can I take back my earlier words," she asked with a laugh, and added: "Recently, I've been too busy with work to have a chance to drink, I fear that my capacity for alcohol has dropped drastically.

"I'll still find other ways to protect Selina!"

Tien will be in town to headline this year's Sundown Festival next month. The music fiesta will also see performances from artistes such as Mandopop singer Show Luo and Korean pop group Teen Top.

She added that the mood in the bride's camp is "upbeat and lively".

"Most of the logistics for the wedding day itself are handled by our record label staff, so basically, Ella and I are just basking in the excitement and anticipation," she said.

The bachelorette foresees herself breaking down in tears of joy on Oct 31.

"It has always been Selina's greatest dream to get married. I wish her lifelong happiness and bliss.

"I'll probably start crying the minute I see her decked out in her wedding gown."

As weddings are perfect occasions for celebrities and fashionistas to appear dressed to the nines, will Tien and Chen take the opportunity to show off their glamorous, elegant side?

Tien said she would very much prefer to have her girlfriends steal the limelight while she stays under the radar.

"Without a doubt, Selina will be the prettiest that day. She is the bride after all and everyone's attention is on her," she said.

"As for Ella, who is getting more feminine by the day, she will be the second-prettiest."

Tien, who was rumoured to have dated superstar Jay Chou briefly in 2006, admitted that Jen's wedding has inevitably led her to wonder when it would be her turn to get hitched.

"At the same time, there's nothing else I can do besides think about it," she said calmly.

"There's no way I can force love, I'll just have to let nature take its course.

"I do hope to be like Selina someday, you know, find the right person to be with for life and have kids."

Tien said her ideal age for marriage would be "before 35".

"My aim is to have children before 40. I don't want to be too old when I'm carrying babies."