Although Saudi Arabia is an international symbol of Islam, many Saudis would agree that there’s a strong disconnect between the Qur’an and local traditions. I wanted to answer questions that many shared: Do we need marriage to signify that we have love? Do you need a husband to have a significant life?

I started the project thinking I had only my personal story to share. I was married at the age of 17, and lived separately as a single parent for the last six years of an unhappy ten-year marriage. Many family members commented on how foolish I was to ask for a divorce. It was only later that I realized that there were many Saudi women who had similar experiences, beyond my expectations of a typical Saudi housewife. With each story, I found more women sharing complex marriage theories and experiences. I followed the stories of happily married, divorced women and widows. I explored the concept of love, photographing my young daughter and grandmother. Utilizing imagery, with permission, from the weddings I had photographed, I interlaced the construction and expectation of marriage through often elaborate wedding imagery and rituals. A common realization with every woman I photographed was that they all managed to overcome the many hurdles created by society and the state.