Content Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following article contains an image and name of a person who has died.
The bride and groom who lost 10 of their wedding guests in the Hunter Valley bus crash have thanked the community for their support as they continue to 'process the tragedy'.
The guests were travelling in a coach after attending the wedding of Mitchell Gaffney and Madeleine Edsell in New South Wales' Hunter Valley, when the vehicle rolled on a roundabout on Sunday June 11.
Over a week on, the couple, who were involved with the local AFL club the Singleton Roosters, addressed the incident for the first time in a statement on Monday.
"While we appreciate the outpouring of love and support from the community, we ask that the media respect our privacy while we grieve," they wrote.
"Our primary focus at this time is processing this tragedy, and supporting our family and friends, which is why we’d like to formally decline any requests for media interviews."
READ MORE: 'Thank you for running towards the storm': A letter to Hunter Valley first responders.
The groom's father, John Gaffney, also addressed the incident, pleading for seatbelts to be made mandatory on buses in NSW in a post on social media.
"It was a glorious occasion until news of the bus crash with ten people losing their lives came within a few hours that has shattered many lives," he wrote on LinkedIn.
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