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Happy Marriage

Ali Reza, 42, his wife Akramossadad, 36, and their son Amir Hossein, 9, in their apartment near Narmak, east of Tehran. This role model of a couple, bound by sincere love, was introduced by the parents, following the traditional method of the arranged marriage. When a young man’s family looks for a wife, it organizes a khastegari, that is a formal visit to the family of a young woman looking for a husband. Most of the time, the young man and the young woman do not speak to each other during this first meeting, but they observe each other stealthily. The young woman, veiled of course, is to serve the tea, among other tasks, which allows the young man to judge her gracefulness. If they like each other, a second meeting can be arranged, still under parental surveillance. Otherwise, the families have a whole array of well-honed lies to put an end to the process without offending each other. For example: “Your son is quite charming and seems to be promised to a bright future, but our daughter decided to go on with her studies rather than marrying too soon.”

Contact sheet.

Massoud Pashai, 27 years old, the day of his wedding in the wedding hall of Tehran Pars, while the city is living the post-election revolt of June 2009.

Fariba and Mohsen, 22 and 28, during their honeymoon in the Narangestan gardens in Shiraz.