Jumping in here because I went through this exact headache when I first started doing weddings. I used to think I needed the absolute top-tier Canon gear to look pro, but honestly, the price tag on the Canon Speedlite EL-5 is a tough pill to swallow when youre just starting out. Over the years, Ive realized that having a reliable battery system and a backup matters way more than the logo during those long 8-hour receptions. I actually spent a long time using the Godox V860III-C TTL Li-ion Flash and it served me well through dozens of events. Its basically the same guts as the V1 but with a traditional head, and honestly, I never felt like I was missing out on much. Regarding the TTL issues people mention on the R6... yeah, it can occasionally be a tiny bit inconsistent if you're shooting fast or in weird lighting, but its usually nothing a quick exposure compensation tweak wont fix once you get the hang of it. Quick tip from my experience: if you're worried about overheating, try to stay at 1/4 power or lower and bump your camera ISO a bit. Your recycle times will be instant and the flash wont even get warm. If you really want to stay under that $400 budget, you could even grab a used Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT as a secondary unit. Having two reliable flashes is always better than one expensive one that might fail or run out of juice mid-vows... ask me how I know lol.

Adding my two cents here. Been shooting events for over a decade and made the jump to the R6 a couple years back. I would suggest being a bit cautious with the 3rd party stuff if you arent comfortable fiddling with settings mid-shoot. I use the Godox V1-C Flash for Canon and while it is mostly great, I did notice the TTL can be a stop or two off compared to my old Canon flashes. You just have to learn to ride that exposure compensation dial. Make sure to check the firmware first thing if you go Godox. I remember my V1 acting crazy until I updated it. If you're worried about overheating during a long reception, you might want to consider the Godox V860III-C for Canon as well. It is basically the same internals but with a traditional head, and in my experience, it handles the heat just a tiny bit better than the round head during rapid firing. Honestly, the Canon Speedlite EL-5 is the dream for the R6 because of that direct communication with the camera, but it is a lot of bread. If you're just starting these summer weddings, the Godox setup lets you buy a spare battery and a trigger for off-camera work within your $400. Just dont push it to full power every shot or it will thermal shut down on you... been there, done that, it sucks lol.

Like someone mentioned, you really gotta focus on that battery life for weddings! Ive been shooting professionally for ages and honestly the lithium tech we have now is amazing! Such a huge leap forward from the old AA days. Love it! Honestly tho, you should just search YouTube for canon r6 flash stress tests. I saw a killer video a few months back where they compared a bunch of different setups specifically for overheating and its basically the only resource you need. Just look it up and its like the first result! There is also a great breakdown on Reddit about third party TTL issues on the Canon EOS R6 that goes way deeper than we can here. Definitely check those out before you buy anything!

100% agree

> Is the Godox reliable enough for professional work or should I just bite the bullet and save for the EL-5? Jumping in here because I've spent way too many hours worrying about this exact thing... honestly, what kind of venues are you actually shooting in this summer? Are the ceilings really high or dark? That kind of info helps a lot. I would suggest looking at Godox for sure. You basically cant go wrong with their lithium battery units, but just be careful. Make sure to test your TTL exposure in a few different lighting scenarios before the actual wedding starts. I've noticed it can be a little inconsistent sometimes on mirrorless. You might want to consider getting a small backup unit too, just in case. Reliability is huge for weddings so just make sure to keep an eye on that hot shoe connection... it can get a bit loose if you're moving fast. Let me know about the venues and I'm happy to help more!