Magnificent views of mountains, water, and cityscapes are superb backdrops to any event, day or night. An added benefit with outdoor parties is that the site is the decoration — especially in a garden in full bloom.

When planning a site visit to a location for an outdoor event, time your inspection for the same season and time of day that the event will occur. For evening functions, know when the sun sets at the time of year of your event to determine if lighting is required. Sunset is later in summer, and sun glare is annoying. Notice which areas will be in the shade when you decide where to place buffets and guest seating. To find out sunrise and sunset times everywhere, check out www.sunrisesunset.com.

At night, use strategically placed spotlights, Tiki torches (that use insect-repellent fuel), and strings of tiny twinkle lights in trees. You can enhance the site with Japanese lanterns or flowers floating in the pool.

How's the Weather?

Always have a backup location in the event of rain, high winds, or extreme temperatures. This could be a room in a facility, or a tent with transparent vinyl siding that can be raised or lowered. Butane heaters can be purchased or rented to take the chill off the air. Ice-chiller fans can be bought or rented to cool an area.

When it's windy, knot the corners of a square overlay to keep the wind from blowing the tablecloth up.

What to Serve

When food needs to sit outside, be sure that it is shaded from direct sunlight. Never leave cream- or mayonnaise-based foods sitting out. Bacteria can grow, causing food poisoning. On a muggy, humid day, do not serve a hot, heavy meal, and avoid foods that spoil quickly, such as raw shellfish or cream pies and cakes. Humidity also quickly wilts pretzels, potato chips, and cut cheese. Meat, especially if it is raw, attracts bees, so if you are cooking steaks, keep them covered until they are tossed on the grill.

Dress Code

Specify a dress code so that attendees know what types of shoes to avoid or if they should bring a sweater. High heels sink in grass. If some women will be in heels, arrange the area so that part of it has a solid surface, such as a sidewalk or parking lot, or set up a portable floor so that there is something solid to stand on.

Stay Bug-Free

If insects could be a problem, have the area sprayed six hours before the event. If this is not feasible, advise guests not to wear aftershave or perfume, which attracts insects. Perfumes are flower-based and attract all kinds of airborne pests, including bees and wasps. Bright colors also attract bees.

While it might be nice to hold the event in a flower garden, bugs and bees also find flowers attractive. Plan your party so that the guests can see and enjoy the flowers without being close enough to upset stinging creatures.

In addition, mosquitoes love warm, moist, moving bodies, carbon dioxide (produced by breathing), and dark, nonreflective clothing — which means that they will love your guests.

Patti J. Shock, CPCE, is director of distance learning, Harrah College of Hotel Administration, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. To learn more about her, visit http://hotel.unlv.edu/hotelweb/shock.html, or send an e-mail to patti.shock@unlv.edu.