Casey Affleck wasn't there to see his brother Ben Affleck marry Jennifer Lopez in Georgia this weekend. However, he did send a celebratory message from afar.
Taking to Instagram Aug. 21, the Manchester by the Sea actor, 47, shared a throwback photo of himself walking with the couple in 2002 (the year Ben and Jennifer first got engaged before announcing their split in 2004, going their separate ways and then rekindling their romance 17 years later).
"Good things are worth waiting for," Casey wrote. "Here is to twists and turns, new beginnings, and finding new reservoirs of old love."
Addressing Jennifer, he added, "Welcome to the family. Get ready for some real dysfunction! Kidding. I am kidding."
In all seriousness, Casey continued, "Jen, you are a gem. We love you so much!!!"
So why wasn't Ben's younger brother at the wedding? In a video obtained by Page Six, paparazzi could be seen asking Casey this question while he was making a Starbucks run in Los Angeles on the morning of the Aug. 20 nuptials and he appeared to reply, "I have other things."
Casey didn't go into specifics. However, a source told People he missed the event "unfortunately because of family, parental obligations at home." Casey shares two sons—Indiana, 18, and Atticus, 14—with his ex-wife Summer Phoenix. And on Aug. 21, he seemed to send a message to his eldest child about growing up.
"The water gets deep, the sea is wide, the winds can kick up. You have seen it before. And though a ship is safest in harbor, that is not what ships are made for," he wrote on Instagram. "You are ready for this. You are uniquely wonderful, full of integrity, courage, and kindness. You will be an improvement to the land of ‘grownups.' And if you go out into the world with curious amazement and sincere gratitude, the world will (eventually) meet you with the same. But please remember that one of the best parts of any adventure... is coming home. I will always be here for you. I love you."
Still, Ben and Jennifer had plenty of friends and family there to celebrate their big day. The Oscar winner, 50, and the two-time Grammy nominee, 53, exchanged vows in front of their children (Ben shares kids Violet, 16; Seraphina, 13; and Samuel, 10, with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, and J.Lo shares twins Emme and Max, 14, with her ex-husband Marc Anthony) and celebrity pals—including Matt Damon and Kevin Smith—at Ben's Georgia estate.
"At the end of the ceremony, they posed for family photos on the dock by the water," an eyewitness told E! News. "It was very romantic and classic. They had an old-fashioned car parked in front of the estate ready to take them away. J.Lo was ecstatic and there were a lot of tears of joy and laughter. Her smile said it all."
The first time Ben and Jennifer said "I do" was in July when they wed in Las Vegas, with the actress calling it the "best night of our lives" in her On the J Lo newsletter.
"Stick around long enough and maybe you'll find the best moment of your life in a drive through in Las Vegas at twelve thirty in the morning in the tunnel of love drive through, with your kids and the one you'll spend forever with," she also wrote. "Love is a great thing, maybe the best of things-and worth waiting for."