‘Life has thrown a lot at us’: Bride and groom reveal heartbreaking battle

A Brisbane couple were just navigating through the early days of their relationship when came the crushing news of an aggressive breast cancer diagnosis.

Jane Armitstead

@JaneArmitstead

4 min read

July 29, 2025 - 5:00AM

QWeekend

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In an emotional whirlwind across three years, Hannah Curran found love, faced a cancer diagnosis, and married her soulmate on the fairytale day she had always dreamt of.

Curran started dating Adam Murchie in 2022 and a year later doctors delivered the heartbreaking news she had breast cancer.

The pair were navigating the early days of their relationship while Curran was going through chemotherapy.

The Brisbane couple moved to Bargara, near Bundaberg, to be by the beach and close to family during Curran’s treatment. Weeks after her treatment ended, the pair were engaged and on June 13 this year, they celebrated their wedding at Gabbinbar Homestead in Toowoomba in front of 120 guests in an emotional day full of love and resilience.

The wedding of Hannah Curran and Adam Murchie. Picture: Jessica Turich Photography

How did you meet?Hannah: At the Dalby Races through mutual friends who are brother and sister, they ended up being our joint MCs for our wedding. I thought Adam was kind and smart, and he thought I was funny and generous, according to his vows. We reconnected months later at the Caxton Hotel after a Broncos match, and the rest was history. We met in 2021, started dating in 2022, I finished my chemo in February 2024 and we were engaged in July 2024.

When were you diagnosed with breast cancer? I’ve got a BRCA1 gene mutation, which meant my odds of getting breast cancer were high – about 80 per cent, with a much greater chance of having cancer at a younger age. Luckily, I was aware of the mutation and from the age of 27, I was having breast scans every six months. During one of these routine check-ups, they spotted an abnormality. I had my “preventive” mastectomy at the age of 30. When they sent the tissue away for testing, they found out I already had triple-negative breast cancer, known as one of the more aggressive and challenging types to treat. Thankfully, we caught it at Stage 1. But I still needed to have four rounds of chemotherapy. Adam was my nurse and carer through it all.

How did he propose?

I finished having chemotherapy and Adam and I bought a house in Bargara. Adam proposed to me on the beach of our new hometown – with his attempt at a cheese board which incorporated Chicken Crimpy Shapes.

The wedding of Hannah Curran and Adam Murchie. Picture: Jessica Turich Photography

How did you choose your wedding venue? We chose Gabbinbar Homestead because it’s simply beautiful.

Hen’s Night? I came back to Brisbane and we had an Adam themed Hen’s – which included a lot of Adam Sandlers and Adam and Eve.

Buck’s Night? Lots of Adam’s friends flew in from all across Australia for paintball, a Broncos match and beers.

First dance song? All Your’n – Tyler Childers.

How did you choose your dress? I visited six wedding stores and tried on about 30 dresses with my mum. Her guidance was needed because I was incredibly undecided. However, when Mum got me to look back on the photos, there was one clear winner: a dress where I was grinning from ear to ear!

What was the budget for your wedding? We had a budget in mind but that increased as the planning went on. We are very lucky to have parents who could help out as well.

What would you spend more or less on? You can never have enough flowers.

How did you feel seeing Hannah for the first time? Adam: I thought she looked beautiful, and I was trying not to cry.

The wedding of Hannah Curran and Adam Murchie. Picture: Jessica Turich Photography

The most stressful part of wedding planning? The seating plan.

Any unique details about your wedding?

A dash of red! We had touches of red in our wedding, red roses, a red drape and red shoes.

What was the standout moment of the day? Our vows. Life has thrown a lot at us, so to celebrate our love with the people closest to us meant the world. There was a sense that we truly deserved this moment, this day dedicated purely to love and happiness. Going through such a challenging health journey shifts your perspective. Life suddenly feels a lot shorter, and it makes you aware of how precious every moment of joy, love, and togetherness truly is.

What was a wedding non-negotiable for you? Having all our extended family there.

Best wedding gift? We had a wishing well, but the best present was definitely the speech my five-year-old niece and flower girl dictated to her mum for me. I’ll cherish that forever.

What would you do differently? Make sure you have a tissue tucked away for your vows! I was scrambling to get one from my bridesmaid.