Fallen in love with your mum’s wedding dress? It’s gorgeous but needs a little updating? We got some advice from seamstress Joanna Lichi of Sew Special, who had over 30 years’ experience restoring dresses for brides and vintage shops.

“It’s a wise decision to get a professional to restore your dress, especially if the fabric is old or damaged or the beading is falling off,” she advises. “We have the skills and knowledge to fix it. Once you damage a dress there’s usually no going back.” Here’s how to avoid a fatal mistake:

• The dress needs to be your size or similar – your biggest limitation is how much you can add to it.
• Old sequins need to be completely replaced with new ones, as they tend to deteriorate. If the dress is old, the sequins can have left an indentation in the fabric. You can hide this kind of damage by adding new sequins or cutting out the particular section of fabric and adding a new panel or beading in the area.
• Old stitching can leave a mark in the fabric, so you’ll need to disguise it. Try adding a piece of lace or another panel of fabric to hide any markings or damage caused by the previous sewer.
• When modernizing a wedding dress alter the easiest areas of the dress first, such as the neckline and hemline.
• If the fabric is damaged, it’s best to replace it.
• You can add fabric in a completely different color or texture as long as it compliments the finished outfit.
• When buying your dress, keep in mind that gowns made of polyester and satin are the easiest to restore. The hardest is silk, which can lose its softness and sheen.