A video of a couple giving their wedding an animal-friendly touch has gone viral. In a heartwarming wedding celebration, an animal-loving and rescuer couple, Mayank Maithani and Mugdha Khatri, shared a powerful message of compassion for animals.
Instead of riding a traditional horse-drawn carriage, the groom arrived in a car, holding posters out of its sunroof. One of the placards read, "Tradition Evolves, Kindness Stays – No Horse Carriage” and "Adopt, Don't Shop."
Take a look at the visuals
All you need to know about viral video
The viral video, originally shared by Mugdha on Instagram, shows her groom standing through the sunroof of a car, proudly advocating for an animal-friendly wedding celebration. The couple used their wedding as a platform to spread awareness about two key issues—discouraging the use of horses in wedding processions and promoting pet adoption over buying from breeders.
In an Instagram post, the groom shared a series of photos from his wedding procession and introduced online users to Luna, who was previously abandoned after becoming paralysed, was rescued by his better half Mugdha and later adopted by Mayank. Their adopted dog, Luna, was part of the 'baraat'. By including the doggo in their celebration, the couple asked people to enjoy special occasions with some care and concern for the voiceless creatures.
Noting that animals are scared by loud noises of fireworks, Mayank pointed out that no crackers were used in the wedding.
"The times when horses were cared for like family members are long gone. Today, many are exploited purely for business. Behind the glittering decorations and the grandeur, we often fail to see the pain in their eyes and the wounds hidden beneath the ornaments", the couple wrote on Instagram.
Animal-friendly wedding celebration wins hearts
The visuals from this one-of-its-kind wedding celebration is going viral and getting shared by multiple users online. A video of the groom ditching the horse carriage and arriving in a car was also posted by 'Street dogs of Bombay'.
This animal-friendly wedding has since earned admiration from netizens who praised them for redefining traditions with kindness and empathy towards animals.
"This is absolutely incredible! Such compassion", one user commented. "Wonderful! May the universe bless him and his wife with great abundance", wrote another. Netizens collectively called this wedding as the "Best thing" they saw in 2025.
People for Animals (PFA) also reacted to this, saying, "Kind and compassionate choices like yours make a real difference". Several animal lovers and activists acknowledged the couple's thoughtful wedding festivities which advocated two significant messages towards animal welfare.
