Love Grows on Trees: Iranian Bride Makes Dude Plant Over a Thousand Trees

A bride in the western Iranian province of Ilam has asked her fiancé to plant 1372 trees as part of her mahr – the traditional Islamic payment paid by the groom to the bride at the time of marriage, The Tehran Times reports.

Putting a twist on the traditional mahr, which typically includes things like money, jewelry, furniture, a home, land, or some other item the bride may desire, the bride from Ilam instead opted to ask her future husband to plant over a thousand trees.

Why 1,372? Under the Iranian calendar, 1372 is the year that the 24-year-old bride was born. Why trees? According to The Tehran Times, the bride would like to do her part to protect the environment, and garner attention to the issue.

Environment matters: Couple tie the knot, pledge to plant thousand-plus treeshttps://t.co/1nSI0IypcP

— Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) 22 августа 2017 г.

In recent years, environmental problems have become a global concern, and Iran is no exception. Facing environmental problems ranging from air pollution, to desertification, water shortages, and the inefficient use of agricultural land and forest resources, Iran has taken a number of steps to improve matters. Initiatives include the use of natural gas to fuel public transport and cars, promotion of the use of bicycles and car sharing services, as well as a more sustainable approach to resource use.