Below Deck's Captain Sandy Yawn Marries Leah Shafer on Superyacht

Captain Sandy Yawn tied the knot – this time, in the romantic sense of the word!

The captain of the ship and Below deck, the Mediterranean star, 58, married longtime love Leah Shafer on May 11, Yawn confirmed on Instagram. Fittingly, the couple said their “I do’s” on a superyacht owned by their friend, It’s 10 Haircare founder Carolyn Aronson.

“I had no idea how amazing marriage could be! It feels amazing and I feel like the luckiest woman alive,” Yawn wrote on Tuesday, May 14. “I love you Leah Rae Yawn!! Thank you for taking my name ! Thank you to all of our family and friends for coming to show your love and support for our relationship.”

Yawn also shared video footage from the wedding, which she said was filmed for the special Below deck, the Mediterranean episode that will be broadcast on June 3. Yawn thanked Below Deck executive producer Nadine Rajabi for officiating their wedding.

Sandy Yawn and Leah Shafer.

Leah Rae Shafer/ Instagram

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Yawn and Shafer got engaged in September 2023 after five years of dating. At the time, the reality star — who popped the question — said she had been thinking about marrying Shafer for years.

“I knew from the moment I met her, but the moment had to be right. I first wanted to make sure that we could really live together,” she told Hey! Newsadding that when it came to her proposal on the beach, Shafer wanted a true “fairytale” experience — which Yawn happily provided.

“I planned a boat ride to a beautiful bay. I had it decorated with flowers with a path to a small table accompanied by three violinists where we could sit down and have a little date,” she told Hey! News romantic setting.

Yawn continued, “I shared my list of visions of love that I had written that I wanted and then I got down on one knee. Then she said ‘yes!’ ”

She said it was an unforgettable moment for both of them. “The look on her face was priceless and my heart exploded! It was filled beyond the capacity of anything I could have ever imagined. Somehow I feel closer than before and I can’t explain it. There is an energy that I have never experienced in my life.”

Yawn shared photos from the proposal on Instagram, including a shot of the couple embracing and visibly overcome with emotion.

“It’s official! I asked Leah to marry me and she said JASSSS,” she captioned the post. “We’re engaged! Follow us for the wedding 💍.”

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While attending BravoCon 2023 in November, Yawn told PEOPLE that the process of planning their wedding only strengthened their bond. “Leah and I couldn’t be happier or closer,” she said. “He took us to the next level. I love him.”

Yawn also said Shafer took care of the details of the wedding, from the location to the flowers. Due to the limited space on the yacht, they had to limit the guest list to about 55 people.

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Captain Sandy Yawn (left) and Leah Shafer.

Captain Sandy Yawn/Instagram

Yawn has her Bravo reality series to thank for meeting her wife. Shafer, a Below deck fan, reached out to Yawn on Facebook in 2018. After exchanging messages for a while, the two decided to meet in person in Los Angeles and instantly connected.

In his book from 2023 Be calm or stormyYawn wrote about the importance of timing and how Shafer came into her life at the right time.

“I believe that God has a way of preparing you for ‘the one.’ He knew I wasn’t ready for her all those years ago and she wasn’t ready for me,” she wrote. “He gave me the opportunity to make different choices and be more aware, so when that sweet little Facebook message came on my page, I was open.”

Shafer was previously married for 20 years to Ross Shafer, with whom she has a teenage daughter.

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Source: HIS Education