We are getting married in late spring and its basically driving our families insane.
We are both in our 30s and extreme introverts who do not like being the center of attention. Neither of us really wanted a wedding, but my fiancee comes from a culture where not having some kind of celebration is akin to blasphemy, so we relented. We are only inviting siblings and parents to the ceremony (courthouse) and then everyone is meeting at our home for entertainment (chamber quartet) and a champagne toast. After an hour or two of that we are walking a block and a half to a local raw bar for an extended cocktail hour with oysters on the half shell and a variety of finger foods. Total guest list is about 40 people.
We will have:
No photographer (can't stand the wedding photos that all look the same)
No throwing of the bouquet
No smashing cake in people's faces
No speechifying
No bridal party
No first dance with the DJ announcing people
No garter toss
No bridal shower
No bachelor/bachelorette party
No gifts
No help from family to pay for this
We are happy with those choices and think it will be a nice affair.
Sadly others are not happy. Our families are driving us insane. They want to re-do the entire thing and make it more traditional. They are trying to argue us out of not having a photo session, not doing a bouquet toss, even wanting us to change the ceremony and have it somewhere they can all attend.
As we are not getting any financial help with this nor asking for gifts, we are sticking to our guns. Even friends are trying to throw me a bridal shower and I want no part of it. Any advice on how to approach these well meaning guests when they make rather insistent comments/demands about how we are doing things? They always have the option of not attending...