A spirited Maori dance at the wedding of a New Zealand couple that brought the bride to tears is going viral on social networks and video sharing websites. The haka was a symbol of respect from the best man and his family for the happy couple. Guests performed the traditional Maori war dance during the wedding reception, which inspired the newlyweds to join in.

The video was filmed at the wedding reception of Aaliyah and Benjamin Armstrong last week in Auckland, New Zealand. In less than 24 hours it received over 19 million views, according to CNN.

The dance performance started after the best man's speech at the reception. Although the couple knew that a haka had been planned they were surprised by its large scale.

Ms. Armstrong told BBC that she was amazed by the dance performance. She explained that some online comments wrongly stated that the goal of the traditional Maori dance by the strong dancers was to intimidate her husband.

Maori culture uses the haka as a war cry in order to scare the enemy. However, it can also welcome special guests, such as New Zealand's world champion rugby team last year. The dance involves facial expressions, shouts, and body slapping.  

Armstrong is proud of being Maori. However,  she told CNN the performance at her wedding was special because it was for she and her husband.

Armstrong planned on participating in the haka after the bridesmaids joined in. However, she wanted to show love and respect so she joined the dance with her husband after the maid of honor did. Normally in Maori culture women cannot perform the haka but it is allowed during weddings, according to BBC.  

At the end of the video the newlyweds hugged the dance's performers. The groom's best man was the haka's organizer, his brother was the lead dancer, and the production company of the bride's cousin filmed the event as a wedding gift .

The New Zealand couple lives in Auckland. They posted the wedding video for their friends, and have been surprised by how popular it has become.

Most of the comments on social media have focused on the strong emotions that the video triggers. For example, many Facebook and Twitter posts shared that the video moved them to tears.