Please help get me started

Are you planning on fish only or reef.

You will need:

Tank
Stand
protein skimmer (don't get a prizm or seaclone)
powerheads (for flow) I would get either tunze, seio, or hydor koralia their flow is stream flow therefore more flow but gentle.
heater
test kits
lighting (but only if you're planning on reef)

If you plan on a reef I would do either t5ho or metal halides for lighting, a deep sand bed, and Liverock.

This hobby is really fun but do all your homework, research, research, and take it slow. Patience is the key to this hobby, don't do anything quickly. Also if I can advise you on anything that alot of newbies make mistakes on is fish compatability. Make sure you know the fishes compatability with eachother, how large they become and if they are reef safe. There are quite a few creatures that pic at corals like butterfly fish.

Good Luck, have fun, and feel free to ask as many questions as you need to!

 

I agree with a lot of what Nemo79 and the others have advised. But, I'll put in my 2 cents, too.
Tank -- larger is better, but 55 and 75 gallon seem to be the most popular. A long (side to side) tank is better than a deep tank. I would recommend against a tank that is deeper (top to bottom) than the length of your arm.
Stand -- Sized for the tank, with easy access and doors to hide the mess.
Skimmer -- this equipment is unique to saltwater tanks. Read the various 3Reef threads on this subject. I have a Red Sea skimmer, which is much better than the Aquaclear skimmer I used to have.
Live rock/calcium carbinate rock/gravel/sand -- Again, read the many threads on these subjects. It seems that many of the 3Reef members use up to 1 pound of rock per gallon of capacity. I have 35 pounds in my 45 gallon tank.
Heaters, filters: Get 2 heaters instead of 1. Canister filters are popular, as are hang-on-back filters.
Tap Water filter: You'll want an RO/DI filter to make the water you use to create saltwater. I am very happy with the one I bought online from Air, Water & Ice.
Lights: Only important if you have corals or anemones.