A New York State mother spent $3,000 recently to announce her daughter was going to the University of Alabama.

The story was recounted in The Wall Street Journal, which documented “bed parties,” an event situated largely among would-be college students in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

The practice began during COVID-19, when students would announce their college admission with a photograph of a bed, piled in the swag of their favorite school. And like gender reveals and baby showers, the practice has become more elaborate over time.

The parties can be either a surprise, or directed by the student, complete with registries.

As Romi Tenembaum, of Plainview, N.Y. told the paper, she laughed when she first heard of the practice. But when her daughter, Isabella Alstodt, 17, was accepted last fall to the University of Alabama, she shelled out nearly $3,000 for party gear.

Included in that price tag was an inflatable queen-size bed for the party’s more than 20 invited guests. There were red-and-silver streamers, a custom Alabama banner, and balloons spelling “Bama.”

About 80 friends showed up for the party, bringing their own Crimson Tide articles.

Isabella even prepared a 22-page Google slideshow listing specific gifts and consulted online to get the right look for her bed party, according to the paper.

According to the University of Alabama’s website, total direct and indirect costs for the 2022-23 year associated with one year on campus total $53,364.