Shower Invites

You should still invite them. It will give you a chance to get to know them.

I mean since your Mom asked your FMIL instead of you, she kinda has to invite them. I created my guest list for the shower and I didn't invite anyone I didn't want there. All women from both sides of the family are invited and only my female friends. I am not sure what kind of guests they are as you didn't say but are they far extended family or like cousins of your FH's mom or something?

As long as all of these women are also invited to the wedding - It's more likely to hurt their feelings if they aren't invited as opposed to feeling gift grabby. And it's a great place to meet them before you wedding day.

Are they invited to the wedding and live in the close vicinity? If so, that seems pretty normal. I'm sure your FMIL wants them all invited too.

I would just invite them. Both my FMIL and FH's grandmother want to invite a couple friends each to the shower (they are all invited to the wedding of course). I have only met two of the five or six but it's important to both of them that their friends are represented so they'll be invited. My mom recently went to a bridal shower where she is a friend of the groom's mother and had never met the bride, and wasn't offended at all.

I would invite the ladies on FMILs list. She knows them, which is why she wants them invited. Traditionally, a bridal shower often had all ladies invited to the wedding, and many of them were people the bride hadn't yet met.

It's only been in more recent times we've seen the trend of having a shower for each side of the family, or smaller more intimate gatherings, or brides not wanting to have guests they don't know very well attend.

I think it's a great opportunity for you to get to know some of FHs people a little better. I don't see it as gift grabby at all. In fact, if these people are not invited, that may cause some resentment with FMIL. You don't want that, over a party.