Seeking Guidance: Should I Have a Nikah Without Telling My Family?

Salam alaikum. I’m a sister who embraced Islam and I need some heartfelt Islamic advice. Before I reverted, I was already in a long-distance relationship with a Muslim man. Around the time I accepted Islam, he also began practicing more seriously, alhamdulillah. We both now understand that our relationship isn’t fully halal, and we truly want to do what pleases Allah. We care for each other deeply and wish to marry one day, inshaAllah. We’ve met in person but never had any physical contact. Lately, we’ve been talking about marriage because we want to make our bond halal. It’s tough because we’ve grown very attached over a long time-we’re not just a couple; we’ve been each other’s main emotional support through many hardships. We trust one another and have helped each other through really rough patches. For me, it’s been extra hard since I’m a revert with almost no support for my faith. My family doesn’t know I’m Muslim, and telling them now would cause serious problems. So I often feel lonely, and my partner is one of the few people I can openly talk to about my deen, my fears, and my future. Another challenge is that people often suggest reaching out to a local imam or getting involved with the community, but that’s not easy here. I live in a country with very few active mosques and almost no accessible Muslim community, especially for women. I’ve tried to find support, but options are really limited. We already spoke to an imam about our situation. He said that since I’m a revert with a non-Muslim family, he could act as my wali and perform the nikah. My question isn’t whether it’s technically possible-it’s whether it would be right to go ahead with an Islamic marriage while my family is unaware of both my conversion and the marriage itself. If we did the nikah, it would be a religious marriage only, not a civil or legal one for now. That’s where my doubt comes from. Even if it’s valid, I don’t know if it would be wise or acceptable to Allah in my situation. We sincerely want to obey Allah and stay away from haram, but this is such a complicated mess. What’s the wisest and most Islamically sound way to handle this? Is it okay to do a nikah without my family knowing in these circumstances, or should we wait and keep preparing until things change? I’d really appreciate advice from reverts or anyone who’s dealt with tough family situations. Jazakum Allahu khayran.