When I saw this photo for the first time, I wondered why the bride looks so sad and stressed, but then remembered the traditions and the direction of her gaze. She’s looking at the Mollah who is reading her the marriage agreement and she shouldn’t agree until the Mollah repeats that 3 times. If she agrees after the first reading it means she is in a rush and doesn’t know her value. My concern for brides when it comes to this tradition is how they keep track of the number of readings. If the bride has sisters, they hold a piece of lace above the couple’s head until the Mollah reads the agreement. Her aunties and her mother sand a sugarloaf above the couple’s head as they believe that brings sweetness in their life. Some believe that this is an old Zoroastrian tradition.

This caption was written by Sahar Saki, an award-winning international artist and designer from Iran, based in Cardiff.