SWEET!!!!
So make sure you put valves under the skimmer and the return so you can close them when you need to mess with the equipment.
I sure hope you ARE going to hard plumb it! Make sure to use unions all over the place to make it easy to work on stuff.
So under the skimmer and return:
-put rocks in that area about 3" deep
-put steppers (concrete blocks of some kind) under the skimmer and return out from the pool wall making sure to not touch the wall. Make sure it is slightly sloped away from the wall. This is to keep the water from making a mess under that area WHEN the pool water gets high enough from rain or leaving the hose running to overflow the skimmer (Notice I say when

as it will happen a time or 3).
Now if you get real fancy you can drill a small hole in the skimmer just above where the water line will be when the skimmer is full. Then put a small PVC or rubber hose in this hole and take it to where it will be safe for water to drain out without flooding the yard or neighbors.
Kim