They are teenage sweethearts who grew up in Warrandyte, the former gold mining town which is now a northeastern suburb of Melbourne known for its wineries, scenic reserves and sporting culture.
Mitchell Gaffney and Maddy Edsell moved to the country NSW mining town of Singleton to forge a new life together – but the fairytale wedding to start the next phase of their life will now forever be tarnished.
The Hunter Valley bus crash which followed Mr Gaffney and Ms Edsell’s Sunday afternoon wedding, took the lives of ten of the couple’s wedding guests and injured a further 21 people in a tragedy which has shocked the nation.
The bride and groom – who are believed not to have been on the bus – remained inside their Singleton house on Monday, comforted by around 15 of their family members and friends.
It is a terrible turn of events for the popular, sporty couple who swapped states, moving from Victoria to NSW just six years ago.
Back in Victoria, Mitchell Gaffney was something of a sporting phenomenon in the northeastern Melbourne suburb of Warrandyte.
He played Aussie Rules football – five years for the Warrandyte Bloods – as well as both juniors and seniors cricket for Warrandyte, excelling in both.
Maddy played netball and in 2015 was one of a handful of Warrandyte High School students to win a community scholarship to fund her first year at university.
The talented student – who is one of several popular sisters – began dating Mitchell around that time.
Mitchell’s sporting prowess had made him a well-known figure around town; record-breaking performances for Warrandyte Cricket Club’s Second XI had seen him promoted to the firsts at a young age, and he was also named in the footy club’s team of the decade in 2021.
Teenage sweethearts and sports mad couple Mitchell Gaffney and Madeleine Edsell left Victoria to make their new lives in the NSW hunter Valley, with their fairtytale wedding (above) later turning to tragedy for some guests
The bus came to grief, rolling over near the town of Greta, trapping passengers inside and killing ten people and injuring 21, one of whom is critical
Mitchell and Maddy (back row) participated in a half marathon with Alex Tigani (centre front) who would MC their wedding, and be injured in the bus crash, although not seriously
Prior to getting married, he had been promoted to Coal Quality and Logistics Coordinator at Yancoal.
After graduating from Warrandyte High School in 2011, Mitchell studied at Melbourne University, completing a master’s degree in chemical engineering in 2016.
That degree got him a job at Yancoal Australia’s Hunter Valley operations as a process engineer and the couple moved up together to Singleton, also a former mining village.
Both he and Maddy joined the Singleton Roosters Aussie Rules club as players and acted as volunteers in the monthly Singleton Parkrun community event.
As they were planning their wedding, the active couple competed in a half marathon together with their friend, Alex Tigani, who had agreed to MC their upcoming nuptials at Wandin Valley Estate in the Hunter Valley.
Friends and family had been arriving in the region in the days leading up to the wedding, with Mr Gaffney’s two close mates, Dylan Burns and former Warrandyte Cricket Club team mate Brandon Stafford believed to be among the groomsmen.
The wedding party made its way to the winery, which is a 30 minute drive from Ms Edsell and Mr Gaffney’s Singleton home.
MC Alex Tigani hosts the reception as Maddy and Mitchell cut their wedding cake at Wandin winery just hours before the tragic crash was to take the lives of ten of their guests
Mitch and Maddy (centre) surrounded by family and friends late on Sunday afternoon before 39 people on a Ling Coach became victims of a horror crash which killed 10 and injured 21
NSW Police confirmed on Monday afternoon that bodies of deceased victims of the crash were still inside the vehicle and would not be removed until it was righted
The bride arrived at the ceremony in a restored 1952 Beetle convertible, which her dad had been working on to have it ready in time for the wedding.
On Sunday, the couple stood out on the pontoon overlooking the dam on a perfect,, sunny afternoon and a celebrant performed their vows before about 100 guests.
The crowd gathered for a group photo in the gardens before retiring inside for their reception, with Alex Tigani addressing the crowd, speeches delivered and the newlyweds cutting their cake.
Hours later, some guests left by car, while 39 boarded a chartered Ling Buslines coach, including guests who had flown in from Melbourne for the ceremony.
Just as the seemingly perfect day was coming to an end, tragedy struck.
Around 12km from the venue, the bus rolled on Wine Country Drive near the town of Greta, the crash killing ten passengers and injuring 21 people.
The 58-year-old driver was arrested and taken into custody at Cessnock Police Station, but is believed to have returned a negative test for alcohol.
Warrandyte Cricket Club president Royce Jaksic confirmed on Monday that up to nine current players and their partners were on the bus at the time of the crash.
‘I think one has got a broken jaw, a couple have got broken collar bones,’ he told teh Herald Sun.
‘One lady has got maybe a back fracture but all of our people are accounted for,’ he said, adding that he did not believe club members or close friends were among the dead.
NSW Police confirmed on Monday afternoon that the bodies of deceased victims were still inside the bus at the crash site.
On Monday afternoon, a representative for the couple said they did not wish to make a comment.
