Rebel T3i isn't a bad choice although shutter speed in most (if not all) the current dSLRs in the market is usually sufficient for most things anyway - unless you're planning to shoot fast moving objects or athletes moving at close range.
I rarely ever use a continuous mode on mine tbh - even when I'm doing image bracketing for HDR landscape photos. Most of the shots you're gonna take are probably going to be at least at least 1 or 2 seconds apart anyway. Besides, shooting continuously at high speed, especially with lens without a USM, the quality of the image tends to be pretty crappy compared to single shots (out of focus due to camera shake or simply not enough time for lens to adjust).
Not that I'm against researching about the product you want to invest on (I actually encourage it), I just think in this case, it's more about what's more convenient for you. The Rebel T3i is a lightweight camera (at least compared to some other SLRs) and it's not *that* bulky. As for whether you should get Nikon or Canon, it all depends on which lens you own. Although I would definitely wouldn't mind paying an extra $100 for the T3i.
In the end, it's not just the camera that makes an image great but the person holding it.
If you want some suggestions on lenses to get, you should definitely start with a wide aperture and a wide angle (although the 18mm default package lens will do the job).
As for wide aperture:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1 ... f_1_8.html (I use one)
OR
http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... 3&bih=666#
