Hunter Valley wedding bus crash: Pictures show bride and groom before fatal accident

The “beautiful” young couple at the center of a horror bus accident that killed 10 guests was pictured hours earlier celebrating their nuptials.

Madeleine Edsell and Mitchell Gaffney tied the knot on Sunday afternoon at Wandin Valley Estate in the Hunter Valley.

Hours later, 10 of their guests were tragically killed when the shuttle bus they were traveling in rolled over on Wine Country Drive in Greta, 7 miles away, on their way home from the wedding. Another 25 people were taken to hospital for treatment.

The couple got married on the pontoon overlooking a lake as the sun shone, before all the guests gathered for a group photo in the gardens.

It is understood that their MC, local reporter Alex Tignani, is one of the injured who is currently recovering at John Hunter Hospital.

Photos from the reception show the newlyweds cutting their cake while a live band plays in the background and Tignani addresses the audience.

The bride arrived at the ceremony in a restored 1952 Beetle convertible that her father had worked on to get it ready in time for the wedding.

She and Mr. Gaffney did an intimate ‘first look’ for the ceremony, before driving off in the convertible for further photos.

The couple’s celebrant described them as a “beautiful” couple in a series of social media posts leading up to the tragedy.

“I’m so glad I married them,” she said.

A woman who worked at the party last night told Daily Mail Australia that there were about 100 people at the wedding.

“It’s just terribly sad,” she said. “That they all had so much fun last night, then this is happening.”

The woman, who lives nearby but did not know the couple, visited the scene of the accident with loved ones on Monday to leave flowers. She said the tragedy would have a huge impact on the community.

At the end of the reception, a 39-passenger bus was traveling from the wedding venue when it rolled into a roundabout currently under construction on Wine Country Drive in Greta, 7.5 miles away, at 11:30 p.m. Sunday.

At the time of the crash, the area was shrouded in thick fog.

The groom is a member of local football club Singleton Roosters. Members are now rallying around the newlyweds in the aftermath of the tragedy.

A spokesperson said the venue is “providing support to guests who need our help” in the aftermath of the horror accident.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the overnight bus accident that left some of our guests dead,” the spokesperson said.

“Our sincere condolences go out to the families and friends of the victims and we support them in every way we can.”

The bus driver, a 58-year-old man, was taken to hospital under police guard for an examination. He is currently under arrest at Cessnock police station and police say charges will be pending.

Police said 11 passengers had to be airlifted or taken to hospital by ambulance, while 25 others were taken to hospital with varying injuries following one of Australia’s deadliest road accidents in decades.

They were initially rushed to John Hunter Hospital, but many have now been flown to Sydney for further care.

It is feared there are more dead and still trapped under the wreckage as the salvage operation continues. According to police, there were no children on board.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a statement from Parliament House on Monday morning, describing the tragedy as “so cruel and unfair.”

“We all know the joy of going to a wedding, a chance to celebrate dear friends and family. They are some of the happiest times you can have. It is so cruel, so sad and so unfair that such a joyful day ends in such a beautiful place with such a terrible loss of life and injury,” he said.

“People rent a bus for weddings to keep their guests safe and that just makes this tragedy more unimaginable.”

Locals of the “close-knit community” are among the victims, confirmed the region’s federal MP Daniel Repacholi.

Mr Albanese said: ‘The mental scars of this will not go away. They are there forever.

“When the spotlight goes away, the care doesn’t go away, for people who have lived through this and for people who have experienced this tragedy firsthand.”

Assistant Commissioner Tracy Chapman said there was ‘enough information’ for police to press charges against the bus driver currently under arrest at Cessnock police station.

“He was the driver of a motor vehicle collision resulting in fatal injuries and charges will be filed,” Deputy Commissioner Chapman said.

Police sources told The Age that the driver of the bus was not drunk and not over the legal alcohol limit during the test after the fatal accident.

However, they believe he was driving erratically before the crash.

Ms Chapman said police believed the bus was traveling to Singleton, for accommodation – about 34 minutes away.

“It’s a tragic turn of events. The number of family members, but the wider community, affected by this is beyond counting,” she said.

It is considered one of the worst multi-fatal road accidents in nearly 30 years.

In 1994, a bus crash in Boondall, Queensland, resulted in the deaths of 12 people.

A year later, a collision between a semi-trailer truck and a bus on Melbourne Cup Day in Victoria’s Wangaratta resulted in the deaths of ten people.

Family and friends of anyone who may have been on the bus are urged to contact Cessnock Police Station on 02 4991 0199.

Witnesses – or anyone with any information about the crash – are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 to clear the line to Cessnock Police Station for concerned family members.