There are those among us who, for inexplicable reasons, like to do things the hard way. We choose chopsticks over forks. We drive manuals instead of automatics. We have fiances who must be asked a minimum of five times before they remember to do anything.

Yeah, that’d be me.

Maybe it’s a control thing. Because when it came time to plan our wedding, I not only decided that a wedding planner was an exorbitant waste of money (Crazy? Yes.), but also decided that I’d just go ahead and plan a wedding hundreds – maybe thousands – of miles from home. Fabulous idea.

And that’s why The Knot, that bastion of Web wedding knowledge, has come to my rescue in the form of a new book: “The Knot Guide to Destination Weddings” ($19.95, Clarkson Potter) by Carley Roney (Knot co-founder) and with Joann Gregoli (celebrity event planner). The book is the perfect toolkit of for brides navigating the confusing world of weddings for the first time – and also dealing with the added challenge of foreign customs and rules.

The book doesn’t have a lot of pictures (it’s black-and-white and blue for the most part), but it does have a section of full-color shots showcasing weddings in different locales for inspiration. And it is positively stuffed with information.

Even though the book covers a lot of traditional wedding ground, for brides like me – who really want to simplify – there’s still a lot of valuable information.

The book includes general wedding tips, like the rules of registering, when to order paper products, like save-the-dates and invites, and who pays for what.

And then there are pointers that specifically apply to DWs (as the book affectionately calls “destination weddings”). Like for vendors – do you import or go local? Should you have a separate party post-wedding at home? What goes in a welcome bag? What are the legal logistics of getting married away from home?

I’d say the guide is as good as it gets for those of us crazy enough to attempt a DIY destination wedding. May The Knot guide you well!