Below Deck Mediterranean’s Captain Sandy Yawn Marries Leah Shafer After More Than 5 Years of Dating
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Below Deck Mediterranean star Captain Sandy Yawn and her fiancée, Leah Shafer, tied the knot on Saturday, May 11.
"Captain Sandy TIES THE KNOT 💕," Yawn, 59, announced via Instagram on Tuesday, May 14. "On May 11th , we officially became Mrs Sandy & Leah YAWN. I Married the love of my life."
The couple met via Facebook in 2018 when Shafer reached out to Yawn. “She sent me a nice message that said, ‘I came across your show, congratulations, many blessings,’” Yawn told Cheat Sheet in 2019.
After getting to know each other through social media messages, Yawn and Shafer met in person in Los Angeles and officially struck up a romance.
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Yawn popped the question to Shafer in September 2023 after five years together. “It’s official! I asked Leah to marry me, and she said YESSSSS,” Yawn captioned Instagram photos from the beachfront proposal at the time. “We are engaged! Stay tuned for wedding 💍.”
After sharing the news with the world, Yawn opened up to E! News about the special moment.
“I have been thinking about marrying Leah for years,” she gushed in September 2023. “I knew from the minute I met her, but the timing had to be right. I wanted to make sure we could truly do life together first.”
Yawn ensured that Shafer had a “fairy-tale” proposal. “I planned a boat ride to a beautiful cove. I had it decorated with flowers with a path to a small table accompanied by three violinists where we could sit and have a small date,” she explained.
Yawn ultimately decided to ask Shafer to marry her as soon as they arrived at the location. “I truly could not wait!” she recalled. “I shared my vision list of love I had written and wanted — then got on one knee. Then, she said ‘yes!’”
“The look on her face was priceless, and my heart exploded! It was filled beyond capacity of anything I could ever imagine,” she continued. “Somehow, I feel closer than I did before, and I can’t explain it. There is an energy that I have never experienced in my life. I love her beyond; as Leah says, Yawn beyond.”
In November 2023, Yawn shared details about the pair’s impending nuptials. “The wedding planning is all on Leah’s lap,” she told People. “She’s figuring it all out, thank God — the location, the flower arrangements, all of it.”
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Yawn revealed that the duo’s wedding would be held on a super yacht that belongs to a friend, meaning only 55 people could attend the ceremony.
In addition to the guest list, Shafer was also charged with selecting Yawn’s ensemble, though Yawn had one condition. “I will never wear a dress,” she said. “Not in a million years.”
Since their engagement, Yawn emphasized how her bond with Shafer had grown. “Leah and I couldn’t be happier or closer,” she raved. “It took us to the next level. I love it.”
Shafer was previously married to Ross Shafer for 20 years, and the exes share daughter Lauren.
