Ahead of their 11th wedding anniversary, Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov are reflecting on their favorite moments from their big day.
The Dancing with the Stars pros got married on July 18, 2014, in New Jersey. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Karagach, 32, and Pashkov, 39, shared their favorite wedding memories — one of which involves "kidnapping."
The couple explains that there's a "Russian tradition" in which wedding guests playfully "kidnap" the bride, and the groom must "get everybody and do something to win her back." The traditional "ransom" paid by the groom would typically be gifts such as champagne, chocolates, or money, according to The Knot.
Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov
"People in the middle of your wedding, they kidnap the bride, they hide her somewhere … It's like a hunt," Karagach explains. "It's crazy."
Pashkov, who is Russian, says the game didn't exactly go as planned. He was on the dance floor with his groomsmen when they decided it was the right time to go get the bride, but then they got distracted by dancing.
Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov
"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."
"No one ever looked for me," Karagach continues. "No one ever came looking for [me], but it was funny."
Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov
After Karagach saved herself, she joined everyone to dance.
With Karagach and Pashkov being professional dancers, it's no surprise that some of their favorite wedding memories were on the dance floor.
Pashkov has one moment "ingrained forever" in his mind.
"We had a lot of dancers. Of course, a lot of our friends are dancers, and we had a lot of dancers as guests, and we had a live band," he says. "There was a saxophone player who literally... He got with us on the floor, and he was playing live on the floor. It was some Latin music. We're just all around him in a circle, and everybody's just dancing, freestyling, switching partners."
He continues, "I just remember just that vibe, and all the guests, all the grandmas and grandpas and everybody, aunts, uncles, and they standing all around and just watching. It's basically a live performance for everybody. For me, that moment was... It's in my head, ingrained forever."
For their 10th wedding anniversary last year, Karagach and Pashkov — who share 2-year-old daughter Nikita — revealed how they keep the "spark" alive in their relationship by making an effort to have time for themselves.
Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov
"I think that also keeps the spark alive because if you're in a good place in your own body, then you're in a good place in your relationship," Karagach explained at the time. "If you're not and you're looking for comfort in someone else, I mean that works too, but for us we're stronger when we're stronger by ourselves, and then we're stronger together."
She added that there's "no playing around" when it comes to navigating their emotions.
"We don't have time for games," Karagach said. "I mean, even since we started dating, we were both so young and we never had games. We were just like, 'This is why I'm upset, don't do it again.' Boom, it's done. End of story. Hug it out, kiss it out and onto the next day."
"Everything was pretty straightforward. That's a big rule I think we have. And that's why I think, knock on wood, it works for us," she continued.
9-1-1 star Gavin McHugh is once again showing the world that strength comes in many forms — and fans can’t get enough of his latest viral moment. In a heartwarming and empowering video clip that’s making rounds online, Gavin is seen ...
The future of the One Chicago universe has been hanging in the balance — until now. NBC has officially revealed the status of its major stars following the expiration of several long-standing contracts, and the news is a mix of ...
New Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders had an interesting exchange with Joe Flacco. Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco wasn’t interested in dancing during OTAs this week — or seemingly at any point in his career. During a brief exchange at practice, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders ...
The Eagles’ pass rush that relentlessly pressured Patrick Mahomes was a big part of the reason they won Super Bowl LIX, but that pass rush will look different in 2025: Josh Sweat, who led the team in sacks in the ...
In 2025, under Head Coach Matt LaFleur, the Green Bay Packers aim to get back the momentum Jordan Love had in 2024. While Love showed promise at times last year, 2025 will test whether he can sustain consistent play, as ...