A multi-colored canvas came to life around me. In every direction, flaming reds, maroons and crimsons, vibrant yellow and amber, bursts of orange, reminiscent of persimmons and fresh carrots from the garden. In the distance, one hill was covered with neat, auburn lines, another with goldenrod stripes, and yet another with rows the color of pumpkin orange. Vineyards all around us were exploding with color and fruit. 

I couldn't have asked for a better day for our wedding. 

There we stood, my arm linked with my father's, my heart threatening to race out of my chest and down the aisle before Dad and I took our first step. Harry was there waiting, but he was obscured by the groomsmen; that, and he hadn't turned around yet for me to see him. He was doing it on purpose, I just knew he was. He didn't want me to see him and he didn't want to catch sight of me until I was standing right in front of him. He had gotten his hair cut short a few months ago and I was still getting used to it. Regardless, he was insanely handsome and that would probably never change because I saw him with my heart, which meant that even if he dyed his hair fuchsia (which I hoped he would never do) and gained 40 lbs., he would still be beautiful to me.

The idea of my father "giving me away" seemed a bit antiquated, to be honest, but a few nights before our wedding, Dad told me that he had hoped and prayed for all of my life that he would be able to trust another man to take care of me. Harry fit that description for him in every way possible. Obviously, Harry could provide for our family financially, which was never my primary concern, since I made enough to support myself. But Dad also knew how Harry had stood by me when I encountered my mother in Dublin, that he had bent some of the rules because my emotional well-being was more important to him than having the show be perfect and polished. And of course, it spoke volumes to him the moment he saw the look on Harry's face when we reunited in Liverpool. 

The string quartet began to play "Autumn" by Vivaldi, which was my signal to begin the last walk I'd ever take with my father as a single woman. Of course, it was fitting for the season, but I also appreciated the fact that it was a bit more lighthearted than the long, low tones of Pachelbel's Canon in D, which was beautiful, but just a little too slow for our tastes, and of course, boringly overused. 

When we reached Harry, my father shook his hand, but Harry grabbed him and they practically crushed each other in a manly hug. When Dad turned to me, his eyes were glistening with waiting tears. "Love you, Dimples," he whispered. 

"Love you, too, Dad." 

Then Harry and I faced each other and neither of us was able to stop smiling. The words of our vows and the music of the strings carried us above the vineyards while our family and friends looked on. My feet didn't touch the ground the entire day. 

Our reception area was covered with billowy tents, in case the rain decided to make an appearance. We had watched the weather very closely over the past week, ready to call on tents and canopies to protect us, but the Mother Nature seemed happy to let us have our perfect day. 

It felt like a dream, the lavishly decorated tables, the ripe vineyards of Napa Valley, and multitudes of candles, symbolic of our courtship, providing the backdrop for our once-in-a-lifetime day.

Harry and I had gone back and forth about how many guests to invite. As far as family, Dad and my aunt Kate were it for me. Wait, how could I forget? There was also Dad's new wife! He had phoned my mother while we were in Liverpool so many months ago. He met up with her and they finally were able to say their proper farewells. Ironically, Dad met Laura on the plane home from Dublin, and needless to say, they hit it off. They've been married for a few months now, and I've never seen my father happier.

I had also tortured myself with the decision about whether or not to extend an invitation to my mother. There were so many factors to consider, but Harry finally said to me, "Do whatever you want to do. In your heart. Don't worry about what everyone else expects or wants." 

So I had invited Mom and her family. Because I wanted to. I can't explain why, but as Harry said, I didn't have to explain it to anyone. They politely declined, however, and I heard through the grapevine that my half sisters were not very happy about it. I could imagine - how strange for them to find out, at 14 or 15 years of age, that they had a half-sister who lived half-way across the world, and that she just happened to be marrying Harry Styles! 

I had told my mom that I would like to see her on occasion, if she was open to it. And I wanted to get to know the girls. They were my sisters, after all, and they held none of the blame for what happened between Mom and me.

"Are you happy with the way everything turned out?" I asked with a graceful kiss on his cheek as we began the rounds to greet our guests.

"Of course," he said, seeming to question why I would even ask.

"I just want you to be happy," I reiterated. "I know you had to cut out a lot of people that you would have liked to include."

He slid his hand along my back, which was left bare by my gown, and then curled his arm, bringing me closer to him. "Harper, everyone I care about is here. Even if it was just you and me, it would still be the best day of my life."

He kissed me deeply, only to be met by the sound of catcalls and clapping. Our guests had an insatiable appetite for watching us kiss, and Harry, being the goofball that he is, would come running from anywhere he was when the silverware tinked against the glasses. 

It was true that all of the people who were important to us were there to celebrate the day with us. If Harry truly had his way, he would have invited the entire world. As it was, we were honored by Gemma, Victoria and Ariana, who agreed to be bridesmaids, and of course, Allegra who was my matron of honor. I had been her maid of honor, but the sad part of her wedding was that Harry couldn't be with me, since it was during the time when we still had to keep our relationship hidden. However, now that Harry and Jason had met, I was freaking thrilled that they got along so well because it meant I would likely never lose touch with my BFF.

Harry had asked Louis to be his best man, with Niall, Liam, and Ben to be the groomsmen. He told me that, while he and Ben had been good friends before the show, they had grown exceptionally close during the filming. It was easy to understand why, since Harry probably confided in Ben a lot throughout those six weeks. God bless Ben's wife for letting him be gone for six weeks!

Harry began to introduce me to some of the other celebrities who were attending. I had seen some of them earlier in the day, but when Harry introduced me to Ed Sheeran and Cindy Crawford, I was still a little star-struck. Ellen and Portia were there as well, along with Nick Grimshaw, James Corden, Simon Cowell, and Zach Braff of all people. I think maybe I was the most giddy about him because I loved Scrubs! 

Harry had also invited Zayn and Gigi, and they made an appearance for a just a little while, which was apparently a big deal. Lou Teasdale and her family, Simon Cowell, oh, and the Azoffs - couldn't forget them. Jeff was Harry's new manager, and Harry had built up quite a friendship with Jeff's girlfriend, Glenne. Well, she was his wife now, actually; we had gone to their wedding together because it happened after we were allowed to go public.

Even now, a year and a half after I first met him, the fact that I was marrying Harry Styles was was surreal. There were times I'd sit and just grapple with the reality of it all, especially when our relationship was still secret. I would see headlines about Harry and his life and I would almost feel like what had happened to us was a far away dream. There was a huge disconnect between the Harry I knew during our private getaways and Harry the celebrity who had absolutely nothing to do with me as far as the rest of the world was concerned. 

When we were finally allowed to come out of hiding, so to speak, it was - and still is - a huge adjustment to becoming almost as much as a household name as Harry. People knew me when I went out and papps occasionally followed me and asked questions. Harry's fans stopped me and asked for pictures with me. 

One Direction had reunited, amidst nonstop speculation that their hiatus was actually the end of the band, and they were planning their next tour, beginning in January 2018. So between now and January, I would wrap up my accounts at Elite 21 and hopefully make a smooth transition to working remotely for them when I started traveling with my husband (!) in the new year. If it didn't work out, I was honestly not very worried. I loved my job and I knew I was good at it, but it was no longer the most important thing in my life. I had grown a lot since I applied for WMEB, because I had been practically married to my job, and now, I wasn't afraid of change since I knew that one thing, one person, would always be my constant.

This was One Direction's last tour and everyone knew it. I didn't want to take that away from Harry, nor did I want to be away from him, so I was willing to put my career on hold if necessary while I immersed myself in Harry's life.   

We were planning to live in LA, in Harry's house. It was a tough choice to make - my $1200 a month apartment or his $7 million home near Sunset Strip. That would definitely take some getting used to - living in Snobville USA and assuming the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Of course, there was always Harry's house in London, which I thought might actually suit me better. 

The party went into the night, with the string quartet switching over to a DJ playing a huge variety of music, and almost everyone taking to the dance floor. Harry had an endless supply of energy, so when I sat down to catch my breath, I watched him going crazy with Louis and Niall, dancing like no one was watching. No, scratch that, they were dancing like they do in concert, with thousands of fans watching; that was when Harry fully abandoned himself to the music. 

With the best day of my life drawing to a close, Harry and I said good-bye to our guests and headed to the airport. We had decided to jump straight from the wedding to our two-week honeymoon in Hawaii. We hadn't gotten nearly enough of the place during our stint there with the show. It wasn't a bad way to end the day when we found ourselves, once again, aboard a private jet, but this one was more luxurious and better equipped for an overnight flight. In other words, there was a private bedroom, and almost as soon as we were in the air, Harry made me an official member of the Mile-High Club. 

Not a bad way to end the day as Mr. and Mrs. Harry Styles.

_____

I will write a short part 2 of the epilogue in the next couple days. Thanks for your patience! <3