Miss Argentina Mariana Varela and Miss Puerto Rico Fabiola Valentín rose to fame after both competing in the 2020 Miss Grand International competition. Mariana and Fabiola both ended up placing in the top 10 of the competition – and posted plenty of fun beauty pageant content to their socials together.
In the years that followed, neither featured much on their Instagram feeds, the women having a combined following of over 300,000 fans. But in the last few months, Mariana and Fabiola began to post pictures of one another on their socials again. It was assumed the pair were very close friends.
That's until this week, when Mariana and Fabiola shared their wedding video.
Announcing their marriage, the couple wrote on Instagram: "After deciding to keep our relationship private, we now open our doors to a special day 28/10/22."
They said their wedding day was a special moment for them to share. But what is also incredibly special is how they found one another.
During the 2020 Miss Grand International beauty pageant in Thailand, both Mariana and Fabiola were at the top of their game.
While competing alongside one another, sparks began to fly. And they realised their bond wasn't just friendship, but romance too.
"One of the great gifts in this experience was your friendship, walking this process with you was a special and real one," Fabiola wrote online in Spanish at the time. "I miss you, my girl @marianajvarela.'"
For personal reasons, Mariana and Fabiola have said they didn't wish to share the details of their relationship publicly, nor open up about their sexuality.
Then this year, the couple proposed to one another in a hotel room filled with red and white balloons, rose petals, fairy lights and gold balloons reading 'Marry Me?'.
And in October, they officially became wives at the Marriage Bureau in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Argentina legalised same-sex marriage in 2010, and Puerto Rico also made it legal in 2015.
"Congratulations! May you be very, very happy," wrote former Miss Universe Colombia Gabriela Tafur.
"WOOOW! Congratulations. I hope you have all the happiness you deserve. Long live love," said 2020 Miss Grand International Mexico Angela Yuriar.
And Abena Akuaba, who won the 2020 pageant at which Varela and Valentin met, said: "OMG congratulations. MGI brought together a beautiful union."
Reflecting on the lovely response from fans and other girls from the beauty pageant, Mariana said: "Thanks for all the love! We are very happy and blessed. I wish you all the love you are giving us is multiplied! Endless thanks."
In her speech at the time for Miss Grand International, Mariana alluded to the prejudice many groups face, including the LGBTQIA+ community.
Referring to it, she said: "Violence has many faces. We shouldn't have space for a lack of empathy and respect. We can have a difference of opinions but respect makes us worthy of evolution. Respecting the rights of others is important – less violence, less war and more love."
Feature Image: Instagram @fabiolavalentinpr.
Do you have kids with allergies or hayfever? Complete this survey now to go in the running to win a $50 gift voucher.