IT WAS a moment in the making for months, almost ruined by a single night.

But thanks to the efforts of Oxfordshire’s firefighters even the huge blaze at the Randolph Hotel could not stop guests Steven Smith and Lauren Halliday from finally tying the knot.

Their wedding party had been due to stay in five rooms at the Randolph on Friday night, but when the fire started they were evacuated and told they could not return.

They feared at one point they would not be able to retrieve items needed for their wedding, including rings, suits, seating plans and decorations.

But on Saturday afternoon the couple married in Oxford at St Edmund’s Hall, Queen’s Lane, watched by friends and family.

The wedding dress had already been saved by mother of the bride Fiona Halliday.

Mr Smith, 28, said: “The firemen managed to drag all the stuff out at about 1am.”

Newly-wed Mrs Smith, 29, added: “We didn’t know if we were going to be able to get our things or if they would be damaged, but today everything has gone really well.

“It is certainly more of a story now, but I couldn’t believe it was happening at the time.”

After arriving at the hotel on Friday the couple, from Sutton Coldfield near Birmingham, and their families were having a drink in the Morse Bar when the building’s fire alarm went off.

Father of the bride Ian Hancock said on Saturday: “We were all joking when the alarm first went off, they were saying I couldn’t hear the high-pitched sound because I was old but then we all had to evacuate.

“Lauren’s brother [Ben Halliday] and I waited outside all night and when the fire crews brought out all the bags we loaded them into two taxis and took them to Oxford Spires Hotel, where the Randolph staff had moved us to.

“Getting the clothes out had been our biggest worry, so this morning – apart from being in the wrong hotel – everything went to plan.”

The reception was held nearby at St John’s College, where the couple met as undergraduates 10 years ago.

They said they would spend a few days afterwards in Cornwall for their honeymoon, but were also planning a longer trip to the United States.