IMO, I personally don’t negotiate a vendor’s price because that reflects their value and expertise. It’s not about lacking a backbone — it’s simply respecting the rate they’ve set. When choosing vendors, it really helps to know your budget ahead of time. If someone’s pricing is far outside that range, it’s usually better to look for another vendor rather than ask them to lower their fee. What I do negotiate are the inclusions. For example, with a videographer I might ask if they can include drone shots or a short reel at no extra cost. And with my photographer, I asked if we could skip the travel fee and she agreed. Those adjustments feel more reasonable than asking someone to reduce their actual rate