Jumbo balloon letters that spelled out “B-A-M-A,” a large cheese pizza topped with pepperoni in the shape of an “A” and a sea of crimson and white sweatshirts, banners and other University of Alabama swag set the scene of the splashy shindig.
Welcome to Daniella Ortiz’s #BedParty — the viral TikTok hashtag with over 8.9 million views that depicts college-bound high school seniors celebrating their chosen schools.
“It’s a party that your friends and family have for you in your bedroom when you commit to a college,” high school senior Ortiz, 18, from Emerson, New Jersey, told The Post of the TikTok-trendy fête.
“They decorate your bed, your entire room, in school colors with a ton of gear and gifts,” she continued. “It’s a really fun way to get excited about going to the college you decided on.”
For Ortiz, who’ll be attending the University of Alabama in September as a prospective psychology major, the bedroom bash was a surprise party orchestrated by her older sister Alexandra, their parents and a few pals on March 18.
In addition to all the college merch, her bed party also featured a custom cake, cookies, white-chocolate-drizzled strawberries and color-coordinated cake pops.
The snazzy blowout, which Ortiz said cost her loved ones around $400, took place just weeks before national College Decision Day on May 1 — the deadline for students to accept college admission offers.
“When I walked into my room and saw everything — how they decked it out with Alabama’s crimson and white colors and merchandise — I was like, ‘Oh, my god,’” said Ortiz. Online, footage of the shindig scored more than 93,000 TikTok views.
The bed party trend initially caught on in 2020, when graduating seniors weren’t free to gather in celebration of their school selections due to COVID-19 restrictions.
So, creative teens who were stuck in the house began embellishing the walls, floors and furniture in their bedrooms with colorful streamers, balloons, linens, snacks and trinkets to virtually announce where they’d be studying in the fall.
And now, although social-distancing rules have waned, outgoing high schoolers are taking the pandemic tradition to new heights.
“My whole room was covered in everything blue and yellow,” incoming UCLA freshman Olivia Goodreau, 18, from Denver, Colorado, told The Post. Her bed party décor — complete with a deluge of balloons, candy treats and a huge chocolate cake with the university’s emblem — bore a price tag of about $500.
“My parents got me a lot of custom-made UCLA sweatshirts and hoodies, a beautiful UCLA blanket and beach towel from Etsy,” she said. “It was such a fun surprise, and it made me feel really proud about my commitment to the college.”
A clip of her eye-catching soirée racked up 1.7 million views on TikTok — and stirred up some digital outrage from peers who felt left out, either because their families couldn’t afford such send-offs or because they weren’t accepted into their dream schools.
“Oh to be rich,” noted one virtual detractor, suggesting that Goodreau was flaunting her family’s wealth with the over-the-top celebration.
“I didn’t get in,” griped another commenter.
“The only thing I got from UCLA was a rejection letter,” said another.
In April, Manhattan-based psychotherapist Dana Dorfman warned against sharing college decision day videos online, noting that “the process of watching video after video can be tortuous and induce (more) shame, anxiety, and even depression.”
But celebrants such as Goodreau defend the bed parties.
“I understand that not everyone can afford a big party and that not everyone got into the schools they wanted, but this was just a fun way to celebrate with my family,” she said.
And parents who throw bed parties for their kids say they’re simply expressing their pride in their children’s achievements.
While single mom Ellen Logovinsky-Gorin is sensitive to youngsters who may not have much to celebrate this spring, she tells The Post that giving her daughter Alexis, 18, an elaborate bed party was her way of creating a lasting memory before the teen moves almost 1,000 miles away.
“She’s my only child, this is a big accomplishment and this was my way of being part of her college experience,” said Logovinsky-Gorin, 49, from Philadelphia.
Alexis will be attending the University of Alabama, where she’ll study marketing and public relations.
Logovinsky-Gorin, a secretary for an insurance company, spent just under $1,000 on food, decor and Crimson Tide swag for Alexis’ April 30 bed party.
“To see the expression on her face, that look of ‘Oh my God, this is the best day ever,’ was totally worth it to me as a parent,” she said.
Atlanta-based mom LaToya Lee agrees. She shelled out over $300 for daughter Kennedy’s Kennesaw State University-themed bed party on May 1.
“I am so proud of my daughter, and having this little party was a celebration of her accomplishments,” said Lee, 45, who works in supply chain management.
She feels her teen and others shouldn’t be shamed for getting into a choice college.
“Everybody choses different paths in life,” said Lee, “and we’re happy to brag and boast about her good choices and achievements.”
