Wedding joy for US hikers Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd jailed for spying by Iran

Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd, the Americans imprisoned in Iran after they took a wrong turn while hiking, were married at the weekend – a happy ending to a romance that blossomed in the jails of Tehran.

The pair and their friend, Josh Fattal, were arrested in July 2009 as they visited a waterfall in northern Iraq. Iran said they had strayed into its territory and accused them of spying, triggering a diplomatic crisis that lasted until last September when the two men, both 29, were freed. Ms Shourd, 33, was released a year earlier.

Ms Shourd and Mr Bauer's wedding took place at a secret location in northern California on Saturday. Mr Fattal served as best man.

It was in 2010, when they were all in prison in Tehran awaiting trial for espionage, that Mr Bauer proposed to his bride, fashioning a makeshift engagement ring out of threads from his shirt.

Speaking before Saturday's ceremony, Mr Bauer said: "Becoming engaged to Sarah while we were in captivity allowed me to dream of a future that was not only secure, but also beautiful."