What’s a Bed Party? How to Throw the Perfect College Celebration

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Plus, tips to make sure your bed party is picture-perfect for the ‘gram

Co-authored by Rachel Weinshanker and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: September 15, 2025 Fact Checked

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What is a bed party?

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How They Started

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Must-Have Decor & Gifts

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Making It Instagrammable

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Social Media Examples

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Video

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Tips

If you’re scrolling through TikTok and come across a bed party, you might be wondering why kids are having such extravagant parties in their bedrooms. Would you believe it’s for college admission? In this article, we get into all the details, explaining what bed parties are, where the trend comes from, and what decor and gifts you need to have. Plus, we’ve got tips for how to make your bed party picture-perfect for your Instagram grid or TikTok account. Keep scrolling to learn more!

Bed Parties, Explained

Bed parties are celebrations for a high schooler’s college admission. After you’re accepted, parents or loved ones decorate your room with gear from your school. Beds are typically covered in college t-shirts, sweatshirts, blankets, and gifts, while the rest of the room is decorated with streamers and balloons.

Section 1 of 5:

What is a bed party?

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A bed party celebrates college acceptance with uni-themed merch. Bed parties are a way to celebrate your (or your child’s) college acceptance. They are a low-key but extravagant celebration where your bed is decorated with gifts and items related to your university. They are supposed to be surprise parties, but if you’ve committed to a university and are following online trends, you may already expect a bed party before you leave at the end of the summer.
- Parents typically plan the bed parties for their children, sending them out of the house while they decorate their beds with college shirts, balloons, blankets, pillows, and other college-related merchandise.
- Bed parties are similar to trunk parties, as both celebrate the child going off to college and involve showering them with gifts that are useful in their dorms.
- Bed parties aren’t just a celebration for college—they’re an expression of appreciation, too! Certified party planner Rachel Weinshanker says, “Doing something fun brings joy and can really transform any event into a celebration of love and appreciation.”^{[1]
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Section 2 of 5:

Where do bed parties come from?

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Bed parties first started popping up online during the COVID-19 pandemic. When everyone was stuck inside the house during the pandemic, future students still needed a way to celebrate their college acceptances. Since they couldn’t do them in person with classic graduation parties, they took the merch to their bedrooms and started hosting bed parties, taking star-studded pictures for social media as they did.^{[2]
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- Although the practice seemed like it’d go away after the pandemic lockdown restrictions were lifted, it has remained strong, with incoming college freshmen keeping the tradition alive.
- Before the pandemic, bed parties were somewhat common in the South, but the practice didn’t gain widespread attention until the pandemic.^{[3]
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Bed parties seem “extra” to some since the pandemic's over, but they're a new normal. The need for bed parties has been questioned due to their often expensive, over-the-top nature, but they are a flexible celebration that can be as grand or minimal as you’d like. They may involve getting cute photo ops for social media, but they’re really about celebrating the person going off to university. As long as they have a good time, you can go as under-the-top or over-the-top as you’d like.
- While some bed parties can cost upwards of $1,000, there are ways to cut costs and still have a good time. Shop for items at dollar stores, discount retailers, on Amazon, and through other budget-friendly options.^{[4]
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Section 3 of 5:

What’s included at a bed party?

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College blankets are a must-have staple of bed parties. Lay the blanket across the bed or fold it with the college letters or logo facing up so they can be seen in photos. Plus, the blanket will be of use, keeping you or your kid warm during those cold nights in the dorm.^{[5]
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This is where the magic starts to happen for social media photoshoots. The backdrop serves as a background for your photos, letting everyone know where you’re going to college if it isn’t already clear enough with the items that will be on the bed. To make a backdrop, grab streamers in the colors of the college you’re celebrating, cover the wall with them, then hang balloons, lights, or paper ornaments to decorate.^{[6]
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College t-shirts For bed parties, t-shirts from the college you or your child is attending are folded and displayed on the bed. Fold them so the college’s logo is the main thing displayed to let attendees know just exactly where you’re going.^{[7]
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- Not only do the t-shirts let others know where you’re going, but they’ll also be a great addition to the closet once you (or the kids) head to college.
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College-themed cakes and snacks You can’t have a party without some cake. A college-themed cake is essential for a bed party, especially since you can get as many photo ops as needed with it before you cut into it and chow down. So grab a cake with your university’s colors and mascot on it, just don’t forget to take pics before you dig in!^{[8]
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- Cookies and drinks are also often included as snacks during bed parties.
- Not only does the cake help accentuate those Instagram pictures, but it also serves as a delicious, celebratory snack for you and your loved ones.
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College sweatshirts and other merch Like the t-shirts, fold the sweatshirts with the college logo on full display in the center. Then, place them on the bed with other college merchandise to help fill out the photo and really maximize the college aesthetic.^{[9]
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- On top of maximizing the aesthetic, you (or your kid) will have a sweater to stay warm during those chilly dorm nights.
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Balloons The balloons help top the photo off, adding some extra college-oriented elements outside of the bed that spice up the background. All you need to do is grab college-themed or colored balloons, then place them off to the sides of the bed to help frame the photo. Take pictures with the balloons for something unique to put in your photo dump.^{[10]
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- Some people get creative and choose balloons with the college’s abbreviations and the student’s graduation year (for example, ISU ‘29).

Section 4 of 5:

Making Your Bed Party Perfect for Instagram

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Want to look like royalty in your bed party pics? Get balloons that are the color of your college, place them on a curving stand that arches around the bed, then strike a pose! The balloons will help frame the photo with your school colors, letting all of your followers know that you’re ready to shine on campus.
Fold your sweatshirts and blanket, then put them on the edge of the bed with the school logos facing up. Save some room so you can fit in the center of the bed, then carefully dress the other gifts on the inner edge so they’ll be right next to you once you lie down and strike a pose.
After decorating the bed with your sweatshirts, clothes, and other college merch, top things off by putting LED letter lights of your school’s acronym at the base of your bed to highlight where you’re going. They’re a great way to add some variety to your party (and Instagram photos) without breaking the bank.
Once you’ve got the bed and camera ready, lie on the bed with your knees folded, then sit up. As you sit up, raise your hand high and frame it inside the balloons on the edge of the backdrop. Smile (or look fierce, slay however you’d like), look at the camera, then take some pics!
Everyone loves to have their bed parties inside. If you want to go against the grain and have some pics that aren’t the same as everyone else's, set your bed up outside, get a standing backdrop, and decorate to your heart’s desire. If you want to protect your bed from the elements, opt for a folding table with a college-themed covering.
Bed parties are known for their flashy, extravagant aesthetic. So, if you have a ceiling fan above the bed, go the extra mile and decorate it to complete that flashy look. Dress the fan’s blades in streamers in the color of the college, change the light’s color to match that of the university, or wrap the blades in colored parchment paper so it looks like the university colors when the fan spins. Get creative and have fun!

Section 5 of 5:

Social Media Examples of Bed Parties

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On May 7, 2025, @fromlandlwithlove posted a TikTok where they showcased their college bed party. Captioned, “Your college bed party was beyond extra,” the TikTok showed a bed that was completely covered in Florida State University gear, colors, and streamers. The streamers also hung from the ceiling, the wall was covered with gold streamers and black and white balloons, and even the door was decked out in FSU letters.
On May 1, 2025, @eden_isabella showed off her bed party on TikTok. In the post, the room was dressers in full UT Austin gear, with the back wall covered with orange streamers, the bed covered in water bottles, hats, and clothing, and glowing lights displaying her name and the UT initials.
On April 10, 2025, @arielle.socol posted a TikTok of their bed party, showcasing extensive University of Florida decorations. From orange balloons and giant bags of Cheetos to Florida Gators merch, sweatshirts, and t-shirts, the bed party covered practically the entire house, showing the lengths people will go to celebrate.