American hikers detained in Iran for spying wed in California

Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd did not have a conventional engagement. Three years ago, Bauer proposed to Shourd in Tehran's Evin Prison after the two American hikers were accused of spying near the Iraq-Iran border. He gave his bride-to-be a ring fashioned from the threads of his shirt.

Bauer, Shourd and their friend Josh Fattal, all UC Berkeley alumni, had been hiking in Kurdistan when they accidentally crossed over the border from Iraq to Iran. They were arrested for entering the country illegally and for espionage.

In 2010, Shourd was released on $500,000 bail on humanitarian grounds — she had discovered a lump in her left breast — while Bauer and Fattal were sentenced to eight years in prison.

Fortunately, their terrifying ordeal has a happy ending.

In September 2011, Bauer and Fattal were freed after Oman paid $1 million bail, Reuters reports.

This past Saturday, the couple wed in front of 200 family members and friends at an undisclosed location in the Bay Area.

"Becoming engaged to Sarah while we were in captivity allowed me to dream of a future that was not only secure, but also beautiful," Bauer said in a statement on the Free the Hikers Facebook page.

Fattal served as the couple's best man.

"The day Shane proposed to Sarah in prison gave us all hope for the future," Fattal said.

The newlyweds will return from their honeymoon on May 18th, and will continue to make their home in the San Francisco Bay Area.