Normally when fans see Captain Sandy Yawn on Below Deck Mediterranean, she’s as cool as a cucumber. Sandy’s in charge and usually maintains a calm, professional demeanor under the most stressful of circumstances.
But when she proposed to her longtime girlfriend, Leah Schaefer, in the Season 9 Finale of Below Deck Med, viewers saw a surprisingly verklempt side of Sandy that we’ve never seen before.
“It’s pretty special,” Sandy shared. “You never see me emotional on the show [except] maybe a few times with the crew. When you’re on TV, you think, ‘Oh my God, just don’t lose it.’”
Captain Sandy Yawn shows us her emotional side during the proposal to Leah
While usually holding her emotions in check, Sandy just couldn’t contain her happiness and her love for her partner of four years as she asked Leah to marry her. “You might see me lose a little bit of it because it’s so emotional and it’s pure love,” she said. “I was very nervous, and I never get nervous. It was incredible. So I think when the viewers watch that, they might see a different Sandy.”
Earlier in the season, Sandy confided in Chief Stew Aesha Scott that she was planning to ask Leah to marry her. Leah was coming for a visit at the end of the season, and Sandy asked for Aesha’s help to make it a special occasion.
Sandy never had any doubts about allowing Bravo to film her and Leah’s special moment. “I never really thought [about] it,” told Us Weekly. “I discussed it with the showrunner just because I met Leah when I was on Below Deck. People followed the story of Leah and I, and after talking to the showrunner, we both agreed the show was the reason we met … Why not share that with the viewers?”
The couple first met in 2019, when Leah reached out to Sandy on social media. The gospel singer told her how much she admired her and congratulated her for her success on the show.
“It’s because of Below Deck that Leah reached out to me,” Sandy recalled. “She watched the show, and she wrote to me, ‘Congratulations on the show. Many blessings.’ And that caught my attention. So I clicked on a link, and she was singing. I was like, ‘OK, I have to meet her.’”
Every day is a honeymoon for Sandy and Leah
Fortunately, filming didn’t faze Leah, which opens up the possibility of future appearances. “I hope so. It would be great,” the reality star noted. “We’re happy, and we’re in love. [Leah is] open and she’s not afraid of the camera. She respects the fourth wall. She’s been there, done that.”
Following their engagement, the happy couple tied the knot — a bowline perhaps? — in May 2024. The happy event was also filmed, with several Below Deck franchise stars in attendance, including Aesha.
What’s next for Captain and Mrs. Yawn? First up, Leah intends to take her wife’s last name and become Leah Rae Yawn.
“At this stage of our lives … every moment we have together, we make it into a honeymoon,” Leah shared in May. “Like, it doesn’t have to be set days. Even yesterday, we’re walking around Tampa, and we just saw this little green two-seater boat … We’re like, ‘Let’s take it out.’ You know, every second is a honeymoon for us.” As it should be.
“We’re just so lucky to find this kind of love at this stage in our lives and to have the acceptance [of] our family and friends,” Leah continued. “It really is a beautiful love story and celebration, and that’s the truth.”
“For me, [getting married] was so surreal. Sandy was telling everybody that she didn’t realize how marriage felt so amazing, to know that I’m actually going to take her name … [and] to not be a girlfriend anymore. It just feels good to be like, ‘Wow, I’m her wife.’”
All episodes of Below Deck Mediterranean are available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – DID YOU GET TEARY WATCHING LEAH AND SANDY’S ENGAGEMENT? ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING MORE OF LEAH ON THE SHOW?
