Ngl that missing pin is a total headache. I remember borrowing a buddies t7 for a quick shoot once and brought my old manual flashes... basically useless. Total disappointment. Canon really messed with us on that one. If you want zero stress for that wedding, honestly just stick to the official gear or very specific updated godox units.

• The Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT is the safest bet because it definitely communicates with the t7. Third party stuff has failed me at the worst moments before, and weddings are high pressure.
• If you go Godox, make sure it is the Godox TT685II-C for Canon specifically. They finally patched the firmware for the t7/t100/sl3 series but older versions simply wont fire.
• Honestly, even then, glitches happen occasionally. Checking used prices might get you a Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI in your budget too if you look on ebay. Just dont risk a generic cheapo brand.

Regarding what #2 said about "Ngl that missing pin is a total headache...." - it totally is, but Godox finally fixed it! I absolutely love my Godox TT685II-C TTL Flash for Canon because it works perfectly on the T7. Its amazing and way cheaper than official gear! Check out FlashHavoc for compatibility guides.

• Buy Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA Rechargeable Batteries
• Update the firmware first
• Practice bouncing light off ceilings Seriously, its a fantastic setup for that wedding!

The T7 is a real nightmare because Canon removed that universal center sync pin. You have to be careful because most standard flashes simply wont trigger. I think I heard that some newer third-party units finally fixed this with firmware updates, but I am not 100 percent sure if every unit on the shelf has it yet. Heres what I would suggest watching out for:

• Make sure the unit you look at explicitly mentions T7 compatibility on the box.
• IIRC, the camera relies entirely on the electronic pins for communication, so cheap universal ones are a no-go.
• Be careful with used gear; older versions definitely wont work without that center contact. Honestly, with a wedding coming up fast, I might want to consider just getting the official brand one. Someone told me the third-party ones can be glitchy with the TTL on these specific shoes anyway... better to be safe than sorry.

I've seen people fry their circuits by forcing incompatible gear over the years, so I'm always super cautious. In my experience, reliability is everything when you're on a deadline and I've tried many setups that just failed at the worst moment. Before I give my final take, are you mostly shooting the indoor reception or will there be outdoor shots too? Chicago weddings are honestly a whole different beast when it comes to logistics.

• I remember one gig I did near Navy Pier where the wind was so bad it literally knocked over my light stands.
• Then I got stuck in that brutal traffic on the I-90 for nearly three hours.
• I ended up eating a cold hot dog from a street vendor because I missed the vendor meal entirely.
• My shoes were totally ruined by the end of the night from all the walking between the parking garage and the venue. Anyway lol, sorry kinda went off topic there. Just thinking about the logistics of that city.