A Bucksport stonemason has decided to throw a dream wedding for himself and his wife of 18 years — thanks to his winning more than $100,000 on a nationally televised game show.
David Leeman, who with his wife Christy Leeman owns and operates Knox Masonry in Bucksport, was a contestant on “Deal or No Deal,” which aired Wednesday on CNBC.
According to Newscenter Maine, the NBC affiliate in Portland and Bangor, Leeman won $110,000 in his appearance on the show. He won $100,000, shaved his beard of 19 years in order to receive an additional $10,000 and won an engagement ring for his wife, who lost hers years ago. He re-proposed to her during the taping of the show, getting down on one knee to give her the ring he had just won.
“We eloped 18 years ago and had a sweet, little wedding, but I always wanted to give her a big dream wedding,” Leeman said, according to the TV station.
In a video posted on the game show’s website, Leeman admits to host Howie Mandel that he is getting nervous as the game stakes get higher.
“This doesn’t happen to me,” he said. “Guys like me? C’mon! I’m just a normal guy.”
Leeman and his family traveled to Florida this past summer to film his appearance on the game show, he wrote Friday in an email. He wanted to appear on the show for a long time, but he and his family did not tell anyone why they were making the trip to Florida.
“It was very hard keeping it a secret,” Leeman said. “Coming back without my beard was a challenge to explain. I just blamed it on the humid weather. Shaving it was the hardest decision out of the entire show.”
He said he doesn’t feel like the fact that he won $110,000 has really sunk in.
“I mean let’s face it I’d have to lay a lot of stones and bricks to make that in a day,” he said. “I was truly having such a good time I forgot I was on a show that was about money.”
He added he was “beyond thrilled” that he won a new engagement ring for his wife and that his proposal to her on stage was his personal highlight of the show.
Now that their secret is out, Leeman said, he and his wife can proceed with planning “a beautiful wedding” here in Maine.
“The great thing is that our children will be able to [be] part of it and we are very excited about that,” he said. “Additional plans could include a honeymoon of some sort but we aren’t entirely sure. Hawaii in February sounds nice.”
