Below Deck Mediterranean Captain Sandy Yawn revealed she is engaged to her longtime partner Leah Shafer.
The reality TV star, 59, proposed to the gospel singer and skin esthetician, 49, during an intimate trip last weekend after more than five years of dating.
‘I’ve been thinking about marrying Leah for years. I knew it from the moment I met her, but the timing had to be right. “I wanted to make sure first that we could really live together,” she said E! News.
Sandy – who recently spoke out about the sexual misconduct scandal on sister show Below Deck Down Under – said she popped the question during a romantic getaway: “Leah wanted the fairytale, and to me, Leah represents elegance.”
‘I planned a boat trip to a beautiful bay. I had it decorated with flowers with a path to a little table, accompanied by three violinists, where we could sit and have a little date,” she explained.
Concerned! Below Deck Mediterranean Captain Sandy Yawn, 59, revealed she is engaged to her longtime partner Leah Shafer, 49
She said yes! The reality TV star proposed to the gospel singer and skin esthetician during an intimate trip last weekend, after more than five years of dating
Sandy said that because of her nerves she immediately asked the question: ‘I really couldn’t wait!’
The Bravo star revealed that she first shared her “vision list of love” with Leah before getting down on one knee.
Leah then happily accepted the proposal.
‘The look on her face was priceless, and my heart exploded! It was filled beyond capacity of anything I could ever imagine. Somehow I feel closer than before, and I can’t explain it. There is an energy that I have never experienced in my life,” Sandy said.
“I love her more; as Leah says Yawn back there.’
The pair first met in Los Angeles in 2018 after Leah contacted Sandy on Facebook months earlier.
“She sent me a nice message saying, ‘I came across your show, congratulations, many blessings,'” she said Cheat sheet in 2019.
“In the beginning it was like a spiritual connection. She has a passion for inspiring through music and youth. And broken people, and I come from the gospel industry too.”
Long time coming: ‘I’ve been thinking about marrying Leah for years. I knew it from the moment I met her, but the timing had to be right. “I wanted to make sure we could really live together first,” she told E! News
Romance: The duo first made their relationship public in May 2019, amid romance speculation
How they met: The couple first met in Los Angeles in 2018 after Leah contacted Sandy on Facebook months earlier
The second time’s the charm: this will be Leah’s second marriage. The singer shares a teenage daughter, Lauren, from her first marriage
‘That brought us together. And then of course the attraction and falling in love with a beautiful soul and knowing that you want to be with someone forever. I’ve never felt like this before.’
Earlier this year, Yawn spoke about the impact of her relationship with Shafer, calling her “God’s gift” in her book, Be the Calm or Be the Storm: Leadership Lessons from a Woman at the Helm.
In a portion of her new book titled “Give Me Grace,” the reality star explains how the couple’s connection changed her life.
She writes, “I believe God has a way of preparing you for “the one.” He knew all those years ago that I wasn’t ready for her. And she wasn’t ready for me. We were both prepared for each other. God was waiting for us. He gave me the opportunity to make different choices and be more aware, so that I was open when that sweet Facebook message came to my page.’
“That was in June 2018. It wasn’t until October of that year that I checked my Facebook messages. Leah had sent me a link to her music, and her voice gave me chills. She was beautiful too. I decided to invite her to perform on my I Believe Tour, where I use music combined with life experiences of those who have overcome to inspire and empower others.”
“That same month, I flew Leah to Los Angeles to meet her in person. It was love at first sight. We hugged and we’ve been together ever since. In 2019 we lived together in her house in Denver.
“My relationship with Leah has taught me grace. Until she came into my life, I never fully understood the true meaning of the word. When someone is having a bad day, you don’t reprimand them or try to get them to stop doing whatever they’re doing that’s expressing the bad mood.”
“Instead, you give them grace and let them have that bad day without judgment. If I do something I don’t like, I ask Leah, “Can I do it again?” That’s something I taught her. She hands that task over to me, but she gives it with grace. She doesn’t constantly remind me, she doesn’t add it to a list of grievances, and she doesn’t take me to court.
Claim to fame: Yawn is one of the few female superyacht captains and has achieved international fame on Bravo’s Below Deck Mediterranean, currently in its 8th season; seen with her crew
“Leah is God’s gift to me. I have always been deeply spiritual, but there is something about her faith that makes me feel more comfortable and grounded. She makes me feel like I’ve found my way home.’
This will be Leah’s second marriage. The singer shares a teenage daughter, Lauren, from her first marriage.
Yawn is one of the few female superyacht captains and has achieved international fame on Bravo’s Below Deck Mediterranean, which is currently in its 8th season.
Below Deck Mediterranean was the first spin-off of the popular Below Deck franchise.