Can someone please give me some wedding reception ideas?

"What do people look for in a wedding reception they attend?"

Joy. Wherever they go, this is what human beings are always looking for. Once you get this, the rest is easy. Most people find quality music, food, services, ...etc. joyful. The definition of "quality" varies quite a bit, though. To get some "objectivity", you can ask for your friends' opinions after you made your choices.

String quartet!

have you watched any of the wedding shows on tv? There's a lot of different things you can pick up from there.

i'm planning mine too : )
i like wedding receptions that are fun. if dancing is your thing, make sure your dj is legit or just make a playlist on your ipod of music that fits the mood you're going for (itunes genius makes this way easy, by the way). or you can do things outside like bocce or croquet if it's a smaller wedding. or you could design some kind of "fancy guest book"...get a polaroid camera and scrapbook supplies and have guests make a page and write some words to put into the wedding book.
hope this helps, and congratulations!