Two 2020 Miss Grand International pageant contestants — Mariana Varela, Miss Argentina, and Fabiola Valentín, Miss Puerto Rico — announced this week that they are in a relationship and have recently married.
“Having decided to keep our relationship private, we open our doors for a special day. 10/28/22,” the couple posted on Instagram, announcing that they got married at the Marriage Bureau in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Valentín, 22, is a model represented by The Source Models and Major Model Management. Varela, 26, is a little more experienced in the world of pageants, having won Miss Universe Argentina back in 2019 and taking the crown at Miss Grand Argentina in 2020. Varela has also worked for campaigns to combat gender-based violence.
In posts revealing their marriage, the couple also revealed they had been secretly dating since 2020. Both women wore similar engagement rings prior to their wedding, and the Instagram roll they posted to officially debut their relationship also revealed they’d spent a lot of their recent travel time; remote places like Jobos Beach in Puerto Rico and a boat trip in Mexico cemented their bond. One image shows a bed covered with rose petals shaped like a red heart, forming the words “Te Amo” (“Love you” in English).
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Puerto Rico since 2015, while it has been legal in Argentina since 2010.