An aisle runner adds a finished touch to your wedding ceremony, and also helps to keep shoes and dresses clean, especially if your wedding is outdoors. However, a runner can also be problematic: Guests can trip on an unsecured runner, high heels can sink into the runner and get stuck or the wind can blow it away. Securing your aisle runner indoors is a simple matter of taping it down, but for an outdoor wedding, you need to be more creative to keep it safely in place.

Visit your ceremony location and examine the area where the runner will be laid out. If there is a patio or cement area, you won't have as many issues as grass or dirt. If your aisle area is along a soft, lumpy or uneven piece of ground, guests and the bridal party could to trip on an aisle runner so you'll have to take extra care.

Choose an aisle runner of a stiff, heavy fabric. A thin, plastic runner will blow away too easily and will also bunch up and cause tripping issues. Make sure your runner has a non-slip backing as well.

Tape your aisle runner to the ground if you have a hard, flat surface, like a patio, to work with for the ceremony. Use heavy duty, double-sided tape to affix it to the ground. Tape the runner all the way down each side to ensure that it stays down. Weighing it down with heavy objects like potted plants or trees, candelabras, large stones or floral arrangements will prevent the runner from blowing away.

Purchase a piece of heavy plywood if your ceremony is taking place on grass.This gives you, your guests and your wedding party a flat, even surface to walk on with confidence. Attach your aisle runner to the plywood using nails, glue or staples; you can cover these up with floral arrangements or seasonal decorations, like large pumpkins.

Weigh your runner down with large, heavy objects all the way down the aisle. Decorative garden stakes placed in each corner and along the sides also help to keep the runner in place; you can purchase them in a variety of colors and shapes, such as flowers, pumpkins or birds.