Maybe it’s your mother’s wedding dress or your grandmother’s mantilla. Perhaps it’s that exquisite vintage gown you came across on an antiquing jaunt. Whatever the “something old” you’re hoping to incorporate into your bridal attire, chances are you will need professional assistance to get yesteryear’s heirloom into wedding-day condition.

A family heirloom or antique gown worn at a wedding can lend fond memories, touching sentiment and retro romance to the event. However, it is rare to find an antique wedding gown that is clean, fitted and in perfect repair—in other words, ready to wear.

In the past, wedding dresses typically were not cleaned and stored the way they are today. With modern cleaning solvents unavailable to yesterday’s bride, expensive silk and satin dresses were stored without being washed, leaving the gowns with permanent stains. Often, wedding dresses were worn again as evening dresses as well, increasing the wear and tear they sustained.

On top of that, decades ago women tended to be more petite, rendering many vintage gowns unsuitable for the modern woman’s larger proportions.

If you have a family heirloom you wish to wear, or you plan to purchase an antique gown, you need to decide where you will take it to be repaired, cleaned, and, if needed, altered. In Houston as in most major cities, there are companies who specialize in cleaning and preserving wedding dresses. Another alternative is a professional costume restorer or an expert who specializes in repairing antique clothing. In addition to referrals and the Internet, museums and historic societies often can serve as resources for guiding you to the right professional for your specific needs.

A professional restorer can expertly repair, alter, mend and replace lace, as well as dye or tint repairs to match the original fabric. All fabrics age with time and there are innumerable shades even in white, so, often, skillful tinting is the only way to cover discoloration as well as hide repairs.

The cost of the process will vary depending on the age of the gown and its condition. Due to the delicate nature of most wedding gown fabric, many restorers clean by hand, using special solvents. Sometimes, a dress may need to be wiped clean or even be dry cleaned.

Don’t expect a professional to quote you a price over the phone. It’s best to let the restorer see the dress, assess the damage, judge the strength of the fabric and tell you in advance if the dress is restorable or wearable. Be realistic: It’s unlikely an antique gown will ever look brand new—which, after all, is part of its allure.

Whether you wear a beautiful new dress or a family heirloom at your wedding, remember to make arrangements to have it cleaned and preserved right after the wedding. At the wedding, no matter how much care you think you are taking with your gown, you will inevitably find stains on the hemline, as well as stains from wine, food, cake etc., not to mention from body oils and make-up. They may not be visible immediately but over time they will show, and if they are not treated immediately, they may become permanent.

To protect your dress while you are wearing it, you may consider using dress shields. Sometimes a cotton T-shirt cut to match the neckline can absorb body oils. Don’t hang your dress for long periods of time or store it in plastic, since changes in temperature will cause the moisture to condense and produce mold in the fabric. Once the dress is professionally cleaned and boxed in acid-free tissue paper, resist the temptation to open the box, and store it in a relatively cool, dry place.

The process of restoration can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, so allow enough time and select your vendors wisely. An expert restorer can work miracles with an antique dress, while an expert in cleaning and storing the gown post-event can preserve the restorer’s hard work, creating a true heirloom that can be worn by future generations.