I met Albanian matchmaker Vera in 2010, after reading about these arranged marriages in depopulated villages in southern Serbia in a local newspaper. I found the issue fascinating, which is why I went south to see if I could document one of those matches. Vera charges about $2,200 for her services, which means many of her clients have to sell some of their land, cows, or equipment to get a chance at love. She introduced me to Milovan, a 44-year-old farmer who was living with his mother and had hired Vera because he didn't want to grow old alone and childless.

Vera brought Milovan to Albania to meet a potential bride, 22-year-old Eva, at her uncle's house. Eva had also brought her mother, grandmother, and brother to the meeting. The group immediately went into negotiations about the potential marriage. Eva's family wanted to be sure of how much land and money he had, while Milovan's only concern was whether she was able to bear his children. At 22, Eva dreaded the idea of having to spend her life as the village spinster, the girl no one had wanted to marry. Leaving her family to marry a man twice her age and go live in a country where she didn't know anyone or speak the language seemed like a better option.