Two Beauties Who Met at a Beauty Pageant and Tied the Knot

Competed Together in the 2020 Miss Grand International Pageant
Miss Argentina and Miss Puerto Rico Both from Countries Where Same-Sex Marriage Is Legal

Mariana Barella, Miss Argentina 2020, and Fabiola Valentin, Miss Puerto Rico, who held their wedding ceremony on the 28th of last month. Photo by Instagram Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Two beauties who competed together in the 2020 Miss Grand International pageant have ended their secret romance with marriage.

The stars of the story are Miss Argentina Mariana Barella (26) and Miss Puerto Rico Fabiola Valentin (24). According to reports from CNN and others on the 2nd (local time), they surprised fans by announcing their marriage through Instagram.

On the 29th of last month, they posted a video titled "We reveal our secret relationship on this special day," showing moments from their dates and sharing shots of their wedding rings. The video ends with the two, dressed in a white mini dress and a white jacket with black pants suit respectively, kissing in front of the courthouse in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was reported that they actually held their wedding ceremony there on the 28th of last month.

The post they uploaded has recorded over 2.62 million views and received more than 262,000 likes as of the 3rd. Fellow contestants who participated in the pageant also left congratulatory comments on their marriage news. Abena Akuaba, a singer from Ghana and the winner of the 2020 Miss Grand International pageant they participated in, congratulated them by saying, "Congratulations. MGI (Miss Grand International) has created a beautiful union." As congratulations poured in, Barella expressed her feelings, saying, "Thank you for all the love," and "We are very happy and blessed."

Barella and Valentin, who first met at the 2020 Miss Grand International pageant held in Thailand, both ranked within the top 10 but did not place. After the pageant ended, they continued to keep in touch through social networking services (SNS), gradually growing closer and eventually becoming a couple. Since they had been dating secretly, their marriage announcement has caused an even greater shock. Local media reported, "It is probably the first time in the world that beauties who met at a pageant have become a married couple."

Their home countries, Argentina and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, legalized same-sex marriage in 2010 and 2015 respectively.