When you get your old wedding dress out of the loft and hold it up in front of the mirror, how do you feel?

Astonished that you ever got into it?! That was my first impression. That along with a jolt of surprise at the face and body looking back at me. You may feel better than every before about how you look, but it's impossible not to compare the reflection in the mirror to the woman who wore the dress before. Here's what I want you to remember: your body has been hard-won. There is no “Better or worse”,

Can you recommend a good wedding dress book? One that really tells it like it is, under the surface, behind closed doors?

With all the stuff you really want to know if you’re a bride to be. The kind of book you’d like to flick through if you were sitting in a bridal boutique watching your sister try on wedding dresses.

Well, a year ago, I wrote one myself and it’s nearly SOLD OUT. The only wedding dress book of its kind, Relovable is celebrating its first birthday today, and what a year it has been!!

How would you feel about sharing your old wedding dress? Would it somehow diminish its meaning?

 Like many brides, I used to feel that part of the value of my dress lay in it being exclusively mine. But as time has passed, and I’ve relaxed my grip on it, I started to change my perspective. I’m not personally ready to chop it up yet, but I am ready to share it. And the main options for this include lending, renting or wearing it again.

Can you dye your old wedding dress? Yes! You can! But there ARE a few things to consider if you want to end up with a wearable garment. What your dress is made of is the first to thing to look at, so to unlock its transformation potential, let’s explore a few of the vital things you really need to know about your bridal gown fabric

When people ask me what they should do with their old wedding dress, many assume I’m going to try and persuade them to chop it up. I get it - I seem to have become a bit of a bridal repurposing expert . But it may surprise you to know I’ve kept my own old wedding dress intact, it doesn’t feel like clutter to me, it feels like self-care, and I wanted to share the reason why.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I grew up in the 1970s, when there was a TV show called The Good Life featuring a couple trying to be self-sufficient in their suburban semi in Surbiton. I would watch it with my mum, sitting on our avocado velour sofa, eating butterscotch-flavoured Angel Delight.

That was where my wedding dress journey began… it sowed that little seed about combining sustainability with style.

When you look at your wedding dress, do you ever think about the hands that made it?

My book, RELOVABLE touches on how disconnected the wearer of a wedding dress can be from its maker. Behind every beautiful gown are skilled artisans, seamstresses, and craftspeople who pour their expertise into creating something magical for your special day.

Many of these makers are supported by the Fashion & Textile Children's Trust (FTCT), the only organisation dedicated to supporting the children of people who work in the British fashion and textiles, including makers across the bridal industry. 10% of the cover price of my book "Relovable" has been donated to this vital charity.

How do you get from being a bespoke bridal gown designer to being regarded as a wedding dress repurposing expert?

Join me as I look back on the journey that took me from ordering new fabric willy nilly, to being an advocate for circularity within the bridal industry.

Your wedding dress is likely to be the most expensive garment in your wardrobe (or loft) and has so much potential for a second life, but it tends to get tucked away after the wedding and somewhat forgotten. You may have tried unsuccessfully to sell it to try and recoup some of what you spent on it, and are wondering why you kept it and what to do now?

If so, it’s time to fall back in love with it.

If you're reading this with your own wedding dress hanging in the wardrobe or tucked away in the loft, you're not alone. This question of “what should I do with my old wedding dress?” has sparked countless conversations in my Surrey Hills bridal studio. Read on to find out more - it's the reason I wrote my book "Relovable."