By BETH KLEID

Planning an outdoor wedding can be well worth the effort.

As Elizabeth K. Allen, the noted New York City wedding planner who planned the wedding of NBC’s Matt Lauer and model Annette Roque, put it, "I prefer to do an outdoor wedding more than anything else. It’s much more personal than a hotel ballroom. You can be much more creative. You start from scratch and create the space; it’s your own start to finish."

Allen and other party planning experts shared the following outdoor wedding secrets:

Don’t Let It Rain On My Parade
Mother Nature can be very fickle, so those planning an outdoor wedding should always, always have a sheltered back-up site ready.

Natural Beauty
The beauty of the ocean or a forest needs little embellishment. When planning an outdoor wedding, let the location speak for itself. Décor should be simple.

The Ins And Outs
Allen thinks about more than the bride’s entrance when planning an outdoor wedding. She is concerned about how the guests will access the site. Parking is an issue. For a large wedding, she recommends hiring a valet service. If there is a school or municipal building nearby that is not being used on the day of your wedding, find out if you can use or rent the parking lot for your guests and vendors. Will there be a long walk to the site after guests leave their cars? If so, Allen suggests using golf carts. Think about exits. Make sure that guests will have a well-lit pathway as they leave. "It could be as simple as creating a walkway with lanterns," said Allen.

You’ve Got The Power
Your caterer, your band and your lighting scheme all need some amps to shine at your al fresco wedding. Allen recommends that you think about your power source.

The Plumbing
Make sure your guests will have access to restrooms. And Allen suggests finding out where major plumbing lines and septic tanks are on your site so a pole from a tent doesn’t create a geyser.

Sound It Out
Your outdoor wedding looks smashing, but your guests can’t hear a thing. Use microphones so guests don’t have to struggle to hear.

- the preceding is an excerpt of a feature that can be found on the internet at www.weddingchannel.com.