By Jay
ValleNBC News
Two former beauty queens announced this week that they got married a few days ago.
Mariana Varela
—Miss Argentina 2020— and
Fabiola Valentín
—Miss Puerto Rico 2020— made the announcement in a joint Instagram post.
"After deciding to keep our relationship private, we opened our doors to them on a special day," they wrote.
The message included what appears to be their wedding date, October 28, along with emoticons of a heart and an engagement ring.
In the video included in the publication they are seen enjoying trips together.
The moment in which they were engaged by candlelight and kissed at the exit of the civil registry in San Juan de Puerto Rico is also seen.
Varela, 26, and Valentin, 22, met when they competed in the Miss Grand International beauty pageant in Thailand in 2020.
The week after the contest, Valentín published a photo on Instagram where both women appeared embracing and the phrase: “One of the great gifts in this experience was your friendship, walking this process with you was a special and real one.
I miss you, my girl @marianajvarela”.
Neither woman took home the top prize in the contest, but both made it to the top 10 contestants.
[Bill to Protect Same-Sex Weddings Gains Support Among Senate Republicans]
Since they met last year,
they have spent time traveling together
and had even dropped subtle hints of their love affair on social media, posting a few photos over the past 18 months before making their public announcement.
Neither Varela nor Valentín immediately responded to requests for comment from NBC News, Noticias Telemundo's sister network.
Fabiola Valentin and Mariana VarelaInstagram via NBC News
In just three days, the video announcing their marriage amassed more than 116,000 likes and 2.6 million views on Instagram.
The comments section was also quickly filled with support from her fans and other pageant contestants.
Valentina Figuera, Miss Grand International 2019, wrote: “Congratulations beauties, God bless your union and long live love!!!!”
And Danna Hernández, Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2017, commented: “Beautiful couple, congratulations and blessings on your marriage!!!
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Puerto Rico since 2015 as a result of the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in the case Obergefell v.
Hodges.
It's also legal in much of Latin America, including Varela's home country of Argentina.
And, just last week, same-sex marriage was officially legalized in every state in Mexico.
