Before photography, the only way people could preserve their most treasured memories was by forcing everyone around them to stand completely still for days at a time. Today's Groupon presents a less complicated option: for $99, you get a custom-portrait-session package from Jay Young Photography in Bedford (a $230 total value). This Groupon entitles customers to a photo shoot between Tuesday and Friday, 10 a.m.−5 p.m. The package includes:

• A custom 30-minute shoot in Jay’s studio or portrait garden for up to five people (a $45 value)
• 25 5"x7" two-sided holiday cards with envelopes (a $135 value)
• A Facebook image (a $50 value)

Unlike the DMV, Jay Young Photography is dedicated to delivering custom portraits that capture the style, personality, and correct number of heads of their subjects. Named a Photographic Craftsman by the Professional Photographers of America for his dedication to the profession, Mr. Jay (as he's affectionately known) also handcrafted his custom studio. The various stone and wood façades of the Tuscan-style building serve as backdrops to perfectly tilted chins and mistimed eye blinks alike. Clients can opt to have their session inside the studio or in the 1-acre private portrait garden, which features three different bridges, a canal, an English garden, an Alamo set, a beach, a railroad depot, and a mini Parthenon. Once subjects have finished casting their family as characters in the sword-and-sandals beach-party train-robbery caper of their dreams, Mr. Jay will immortalize their favorite pose in a set of customizable 5"x7" holiday cards, available in a wide range of designs and color combinations. He will also preserve the same pose as a handsome Facebook image that doesn't involve hoisting a red plastic cup.

The family-owned-and-operated company enjoys taking pictures of high-school seniors, families, families with pets, corporate families, and corporate secret families. Customers can call to schedule an appointment and commemorate their loved ones in a manner that's less time consuming and more eternal than arranging a football field of dominoes to topple into the shape of their faces. Sessions may be upgraded to include more time, poses, outfit changes, prints, and retouching options.