Film Production–how Different Is The Quality Of Work Between A Seasoned Cameraman And An Amateur?

I am coordinating a film project in collaboration with a top notch production company. I want to save money by hiring a cheap cameraman from a company who makes wedding videos (I’m in China and theres plenty of those kind of cheap local outfits) to do the filming and turning that film over to the production company to do the editing and post production. The alternative is to have that company do the filming as well as the editing and post production. The filming content includes shots of a school and student life at the school as well as individual interviews. I expect some sacrifice in quality by hiring a less qualified local, but I am assuming it will still be good enough to make a good project, especially with professional editing and post production. Is that a fair assumption? Any advice?