Virtual Wedding Shower

Like many, we cannot invite everyone we would like to to our wedding. This includes much of my extended family. When calling around to family explaining why we couldn't invite them, one suggested a virtual bridal shower. This is certainly doable and my aunt has offered to host. The guests will be entirely family members, including some of whom will be attending the in-person shower (immediate family).


The issue we are having however is that tradition states that you don't invite anyone to a bridal shower that isn't invited to the wedding. Obviously this goes against that, so we want to make clear gifts are not necessary, we really just want to be able to spend time together and celebrate. However, knowing much of my family, some will still want to send a gift. In hopes of making sure no one feels obligated to send a gift, we are thinking of not opening gifts during the shower, but calling those who do send gifts after the shower to thank them in addition to writing thank you notes. We also want to make sure those who would like to send a gift have registry info. The registry is on our wedding website, so we were thinking of listing website info on the shower invites, also to share the other aspects of the wedding like engagement pictures, wedding party, etc.
Has anyone else had a virtual shower with folks not invited to the wedding? How did you address gifts?