My fiance is considered the "black sheep" of his family, they refuse to admit it, but he truly. I'm not going to head into details as to why or how he became the black sheep but the point is that we don't agree with the way his family treats him. We, at first, decided that we we going to go to Jamaica and have a private wedding ceremony, just the two of us, then have a laid back wedding reception at a local park under a pavillion. But recently, his mom did something to put him over the edge and decide not to have a reception at all for fear that we won't be able to enjoy OUR day because his family will be there criticizing or insulting our every move. However, my friend suggests that we still have a wedding reception and just not invite them, stating that we shouldn't have to shelf our celebration because of other peoples actions or words. And I'm over here thinking about how I just want to cancel the party for fear I would offend someone and cause (more) family problems we don't need.
AND If we do decide not to host a reception, is it still acceptable to have a bridal shower thrown for me? I feel like it would be because the reception is to thank my patrons for supporting our marriage.