Sooo, I totally feel your pain here. I remember my first big retirement party with my 90D and a basic AA-powered flash... literally missed the main toast cuz the recycle time was like five seconds. It was SO embarrassing. Honestly, you dont need to drop $500 on the Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT unless youre shooting in a literal hurricane and need that extreme weather sealing. For your budget, I've been super happy with Godox gear. I currently use the Godox V860III-C Flash for Canon and it's basically a beast. Here is why it works so well for the 90D: * The Li-ion battery is a TOTAL game changer. It recycles in about 1.5 seconds even at full power, which is miles better than AAs.
* The E-TTL II compatibility is spot on. I've used it for hundreds of shots and the metering is really consistent.
* HSS is actually huge if you ever shoot portraits near a window where you wanna keep that f/2.8 look without blowing out the background. I was kinda worried about the AF assist beam too, but the Godox V1-C Flash for Canon actually plays quite well with the 90D's center focus points. My biggest lesson? Dont overspend just for the brand name. The money you save can go toward a better lens or more batteries. You're gonna love how much faster you can shoot! lol. cheers.

Curious about one thing: how big are the rooms? Ngl, Yongnuo YN600EX-RT II recycle times disappointed me vs the Godox V860III-C Li-ion battery, but it's way cheaper if budget is tight.

Adding my thoughts since I have been through this exact dilemma with my 90D setup. You can definitely get that professional look without spending 600 bucks. I have been very happy with the Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT for about three years now. It is reliable, the E-TTL II is spot on, and it wont weigh your wrist down during a long wedding. Just make sure to pair it with Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA Batteries for the best recycle times. If you want to try something slightly different, the Westcott FJ80 II Universal Speedlight is a bit of a hidden gem. The touchscreen makes changing settings on the fly so much faster when things get chaotic. I have had zero issues with the AF assist or HSS compatibility on the 90D body. It feels like a much more modern piece of kit than the older Canon units, honestly. TL;DR: Get the Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT for guaranteed native performance or the Westcott FJ80 II Universal Speedlight if you want a more user-friendly interface and round head.

bump

Regarding what #4 said about bump - it is definitely good to keep this discussion going because reliability is everything when you are shooting events. In my experience, you really have to weigh that brand-name peace of mind against the features of the newer third-party stuff. I have tried many different setups over the years and I have found that:

• Sometimes the cheaper gear holds up better than expected, but I once had a high-end unit overheat during a summer wedding in a greenhouse.
• Speaking of greenhouses, that venue had the most incredible orchids I have ever seen.
• My aunt used to grow orchids in her basement back in the 90s using these massive UV lamps that made the whole house glow purple at night.
• The neighbors actually called the cops once because they thought she was running some kind of illegal operation, but it was just her prized Cattleya collection.
• She ended up winning a ribbon at the state fair for one of them, though I think she mostly just liked the humidity. Anyway lol, sorry kinda went off topic there.

Yo! Congrats on the 90D, that 32.5MP sensor is seriously amazing for detail. Honestly, I've been shooting with the 90D for ages and you gotta look at the Godox V1-C Flash for Canon. It’s literally a game changer for the price, right? The round head gives a much smoother fall-off when bouncing light off ceilings compared to traditional heads. Technically speaking, it uses a Li-ion battery so the recycle time is insanely fast—basically 1.5 seconds at full power—which wipes the floor with AA-powered flashes. I've never had overheating issues during 6-hour wedding sessions, and E-TTL II works perfectly with the 90D's metering. Also, HSS is a MUST for those bright indoor moments where you want that bokeh! Ngl, the AF assist beam on third-party gear isnt always 100% as good as native, but for the price? Its a total steal. Good luck!

Lol I was literally about to post the same thing. Glad someone else brought it up.