THEY step into the limelight every night of the week - but yesterday a couple took on the biggest starring roles of their lives.

The two lead performers in Southampton's blockbusting musical Miss Saigon walked up the aisle together for real as they married in a sumptuous ceremony at the city's historic Tudor Merchant's Hall.

The entire Miss Saigon cast packed into the building as David Shannon and Ima Castro tied the knot during an all-star ceremony.

They met and fell in love on the show - but while on stage the romance between Chris, an American GI, and Kim, a local Vietnamese girl, is deeply troubled. In real life it had a happy finale.

Ima, 27, swept into the building for the civil ceremony - the first ever in the Tudor Merchant's Hall - wearing a spectacular dress with 10ft-long veil.

Hugh Maynard, who plays John in the musical, led a cast quartet in the singing and about 80 guests cheered loudly as the couple said "I do".

A handful of fans gathered outside as the beaming newly-weds stepped out on to the city walls to a glass of mulled wine and the frenzied click of cameras.

They then stepped into a pristine Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce and were driven by Beaulieu owner Lord Montagu himself to a lavish reception at waterside restaurant Dock Gate Four.

After the popular Miss Saigon run at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre, the couple eventually plan to settle in the Philippines, where Ima is a major recording star, already on her third album.