Choose your floral designer early when planning your wedding. You'll want a designer who is gifted, knowledgeable, and most importantly it should be someone you like and feel comfortable working with. Your florist should delight in providing you with the most beautiful flowers your budget can handle.

Here are 12 questions we have gathered to ask potential florists:

1. What is the florist's design style? Minimal? Traditional? Elegant? Edgy and modern? Many florists will explain their artistic vision to you -- the styles they love, their favorite flowers, the palettes they adore. Do the florist's views fit with your own ideas?

2. Does the florist's style -- and the overall look of the shop -- match yours? This is common sense. Go with your gut.

3. Can you see photographs or live examples of past work? (Real bouquets and arrangements will give you a better sense of the florist's abilities than photos -- especially photos that aren't of the florist's actual work but show things the florist says he or she can do.)

4. How big is the shop (number of staff), and who will work on your wedding? Make sure the floral designer you're interviewing will actually create the arrangements.

5. Try to gauge the florist's expertise by asking questions. What flowers will be in season when your wedding takes place? If your budget is on the small side, using flowers in season will help you keep the cost down. An experience florist will know how to guide you to the best flower choices for you.

6. What are the hottest floral trends of the moment? Why do they work or not work? What's the most innovative concept the florist has recently brought to a design project?

7. Which flowers are least likely to wilt in hot weather? What are some hot weather no-nos?

8. Has the florist done weddings at your ceremony and/or reception sites before? If so, he or she may have pictures of arrangements done at your site and will be knowledgeable about what sizes, shapes, and colors work in the space.

9. Will the florist deliver flowers for your wedding or spend time at the site, setting up and making sure everything is in order? You'll pay more for a full-service florist, but you get what you pay for.

10. How many weddings will the florist do on the same day or weekend as yours? The florist's answer determines how much time will be spent on your event, thus giving you an average idea of how much you are spending per hour towards this florist.

11. Does the florist offer rental items -- vases, potted plants, arches, trellises, candelabras, urns -- or must you contact a rental company?

12. Does the florist preserve flowers after the event? If this is important to you, find out now if he or she will do so, or if you can be referred to someone who does. You may have to make an appointment before the wedding to ensure that your arrangements can be preserved directly afterward.

Following these guide lines while choosing your florist will help ensure that the floral elements of your wedding reflect not just your floral designers work but your own style as well.