Welcome to the forum and the exciting world of beekeeping. I started this year with one hive, but placed mine next to my brother-in-law's hive, so we had 2 next to each other. I would agree that it's important to have two, so that you can compare them. It's really no extra work.
I can also suggest that Beekeeping for Dummies has taught me a lot of what I needed to get off the ground. This forum was also another major source of encouragement, advice, and information. I would suggest that you read and read a lot (both of the book and these forums).
I was lucky in that I also had a mentor (my bro-in-law). I would suggest that you also find a friend in the same city that keeps bees and that you can call on at least once a month, have lunch with, or attend the local beekeepers association with. That will help in your quest.
Your hive is beautiful. Very nice choice. You might buy another like it, or boxes/frames of the same size. If you buy one set, I'd stick with the set's size for all of your equipment. That way you can use it interchangably. My bro-in-law has deep frames (deeper than mine), and we can't use each others stuff. In come cases that's good, but in your case, since they'll be next to each other, they should be the same specifications.
I bought a 'package' of bees and installed them in April. That means I bought a box of bees and placed the queen and workers and all into the hive, following the Beekeeping for Dummies instructions. It works, the girls (bees) loved their hive, and this year I got quite a lot of honey for being in my 1st year. You can have the same positive, enriching experience too.
Glad to meet you and hope to hear from you, your husband, and see what questions you have soon.
Regards,
UtahBees (Scott)