One might venture to guess that Callie Luetkenhaus experienced love at first sight when she and Caleb Vega first met as toddlers. But whether it was love at their first meeting or not, the connection and chemistry was instantaneous.

In fact, their families went to the same church, they attended the same birthday parties, and as they grew up, their general friend group stayed the same. As they got older, her feelings for Vega turned to true love but she never made them known, thinking he was out of her reach.
“I thought he was way out of my league,” recalled Luetkenhaus. “He’s so smart, kind, and good looking. We were acquaintances and friends by association.”
One day last year though, everything began to change. Luetkenhaus decided it was now or never to make her move. A big emotional risk to share her heart with the guy she was certain was her ever after.

In May 2024, around Vega’s 18th birthday, Luetkenhaus started texting Vega asking what his favorite drink was so she could get it herself.

Turns out, the drink was not her favorite but turned into an opportunity which led to more texts and eventually a Facebook conversation.

That discussion sparked a lengthy talk about likes and dislikes. Little did Vega know at the time that Luetkenhaus was plotting a birthday surprise that would really change the course of fate.

“I spent $60 on an airplane Lego set because he is going to be a pilot,” she said. “Then I got him his favorite snacks, so extra cheddar goldfish and a six-pack of Sprite and Mike and Ike’s and gum. Then I went to Dairy Queen and I got him a chocolate cookie dough blizzard.”

When Vega received the birthday basket, he was both shocked and delighted. Calling her birthday gesture “sweet” and her affection for him “obvious” once he caught on, which he says “was definitely later than it should have been,” he began to see his childhood acquaintance as something much more.

A few weeks later, they were officially a couple.

“From the get-go really, we were talking about marriage,” he said. “We’re dating to marry. We’re not going to date for three years just to be dating. We’re figuring out if we’re going to marry each other. We’re not going to waste a bunch of time. That was kind of like our mindset.”

By mid-October, the pair became engaged and set a date of May 31, 2025, to marry. The proposal took place in Vega’s backyard surrounded by candles, flowers, and pictures of themselves.

Admittedly, Luetkenhaus says she knew he was going to propose but her answer surprisingly was not the typical and obvious response. “I was actually joking and I said ‘No. I’m just kidding, yes.’”

The union has received their parents’ blessing.

“When they were like three and four, I decided that we should betroth them. And it turns out they picked each other. She is like a perfect girl for my son. I can’t wait to have her actually join my family,” said Caleb’s mother Julie Vega.

While the couple anxiously await the approaching day, the wedding planning is in full mode as the colors are gold and sage green and the ceremony will have less than 200 attendees and be held in St. Charles. Additionally, the couple will honeymoon in Branson and have surprises planned for each other.

Besides sentiments of congratulations, the twosome are also getting plenty of wisdom.

“I can’t treat Callie like she’s me,” Vega says of the valuable advice he has received. “I have to understand that her thinking is going to be different. How she perceives things is different. I have to be very intentional with learning more about her and understanding the way she sees things instead of just going through it the way I see it.”

For Luetkenhaus, it all comes back to her faith, something she and Vega value and are continue to make their first priority.

“We both have our own walk with Christ, but we also need to have our relationship together, like an individual relationship with Christ and then our couple’s relationship with Christ,” she said.

As the pair prepare for the big day in May and beyond, they hope to keep Troy their home for the foreseeable future. On this Valentine’s Day especially, their first as a couple, they are reminded of the things they love about each other — how she brings out the extrovert in him and loves so tenderly and how he so thoroughly and unconditionally loves her.

Its’s that deep connection and affection that makes them each other’s everything.

“You’re the first person I want to tell good news to, and you’re also the first person I want to tell bad news to,” Luetkenhaus said. “When I have a bad day, you’re the only person I want to see and be with. When I have a good day, you’re the only person I want to be with. Because everything is just so much better with you.”