I am offended by anyone who would take offense... Your wife is lovely... she looks like a paid model...

If you want to do portraiture... i'd have a beginning and end game in mind. So start with a little camera, but one that takes the same size lens as where you want to end up.

Ie, start with a 50 or 80mm prime lens that opens wide for brokeh... and soft DOF. , etc. You could get by for a very long time with one really good lens. Takes awhile to master one anyways- will make you a better photographer and you will know what the next one has got to do... Gathering stuff like filters, and or whatever, the price of upgrading begins to get huge once you begin to factor replacing it all at once... so have what you want to end up with in mind and- create a strategy toward that goal, so you try and spend you hard earned $$$ just once and build a set up.

Know that a good FF lens will retain decent value, will work on CF bodies and most importantly, will go right on a new FF body and right away show you what it can really do... Consider used- any reputable camera shop will not buy junk. But you will trim off a hunk of $$$.

IN fact- in the end, a camera body- while significant, is not the most expensive sort of equipment you will eventually own.