"Dancing With the Stars” pros Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov tried to pull off a Russian wedding tradition at their 2014 wedding, but it didn’t quite go as planned. Despite the fail, they were able to laugh about it later.
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Ahead of their 11th wedding anniversary in July, the couple spoke with People, sharing some memories from their big day. They also revealed the one tradition they attempted and failed.
According to The Knot website, the Russian wedding tradition called “The Ransom” involves a pretend “kidnapping.”
“A fun (but somewhat outdated) tradition is the bride’s family members and bridesmaids ‘kidnapping’ her and holding her for ‘ransom,'” the site explains. “The groom must complete a series of tasks meant to show his love (and embarrass him slightly). At the end, he must pay the ransom — a box of chocolates, a bottle of champagne, or another treat, to get his bride.”
Karagach shared, “People in the middle of your wedding, they kidnap the bride, they hide her somewhere … It’s like a hunt.”
She added, “It’s crazy.”
Pashkov noted that he was too busy on the dance floor with his groomsmen to know that his bride had been hidden.
Karagach recalled, “I remember one of my friends came to kidnap me, and she took me into the bathroom stall, hid me in the bathroom stall, and no one came to get me. I was just waiting. Then I come out by myself, and they’re dancing the night away.”
The dance pro added, “No one ever looked for me. No one ever came looking for [me], but it was funny.”
After the failed “ransom” game, she joined everyone on the dance floor.
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Not surprisingly, the couple said their favorite memories from their beautiful wedding involved dancing.
With a lot of dancers in attendance and a live band, things got lively. “There was a saxophone player who literally … He got with us on the floor, and he was playing live on the floor,” Pashkov said. “It was some Latin music. We’re just all around him in a circle, and everybody’s just dancing, freestyling, switching partners.”
He noted, “I just remember just that vibe, and all the guests, all the grandmas and grandpas and everybody, aunts, uncles, and [they’re] standing all around and just watching.”
The pro dancer added, “It’s basically a live performance for everybody. For me, that moment was … It’s in my head, ingrained forever.”
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