Seating charts... yay or nay?

The only time you can get away with not having a seating arrangement is if you are having a dessert or appetizers reception. If your guests are being fed a full meal, whether plated or buffet, and they need to sit to eat, then they need to be told at least which table to sit at and let them choose the seats. Reason being is that if you don't, you will have couples and families split up. Also some people save chairs for their friends who never even sit with them and then don't give up those chairs for anything. Every dinner event that I have ever attended that did not have a seating arrangement (which is quite a few) was m chaos because no one knew what was going on or where they were able to sit, if there were seats together or if they had to seperate, etc.