The Wedding Ring in Play Along: A Symbol of Evolving Commitment

The Wedding Ring as a Shape-Shifting Symbol in Play Along

In Liz Tomforde's Play Along, the wedding ring is far more than a piece of jewelry. It is a recurring object that tracks the emotional arc of Kennedy Kay and Isaiah Rhodes's relationship—from a drunken accident to a deliberate, loving commitment. The ring appears in several distinct forms: Kennedy's diamond engagement ring from a failed relationship, the cheap plastic band from a Las Vegas chapel, Isaiah's late mother's amethyst heirloom, and the practical rings they exchange for work. Each iteration carries a different weight, reflecting how the characters' understanding of marriage—and of each other—evolves over the course of the novel. By tracing the ring's transformations, readers can see how a symbol of obligation and pretense becomes one of genuine intimacy and choice.

The Ring's Many Forms and Recurrences

The wedding ring is introduced early in the prologue, when Isaiah notices a diamond ring on Kennedy's left hand and assumes she is married. This ring, later revealed to be from her ex-fiancé Connor, represents a relationship that was never truly hers to choose. It reappears in Chapter 5, when Isaiah wakes up in a Las Vegas hotel room and sees a cheap plastic band on his own finger and on Kennedy's—the product of their impulsive, tequila-fueled wedding. After they agree to a six-month fake marriage, Isaiah obtains his late mother's wedding ring and presents it to Kennedy in the women's restroom of the clubhouse (Chapter 8). She initially refuses, but he insists, and she agrees to wear it. In the same scene, Kennedy gives Isaiah a metal band and a silicone ring for games, which he puts on. The ring resurfaces in Chapter 15, when Isaiah uses his wedding ring to decline a woman's invitation to dance, signaling that the symbol has begun to carry real meaning for him. Finally, in the epilogue, two years later, the couple remarries intentionally, and Kennedy wears Isaiah's mother's ring again—this time as a promise, not a ploy.

From Transaction to Treasure: How the Ring's Meaning Shifts

The Diamond Ring: A Symbol of Constraint

Kennedy's initial diamond ring is a marker of a relationship that was imposed on her. In Chapter 7, she tells Isaiah that her last engagement was not her choice, and the epilogue reveals that Connor married her stepsister, leaving Kennedy hurt and petty. The diamond ring, then, is not a token of love but a reminder of family expectations and betrayal. It signals to Isaiah that Kennedy is unavailable, but it also foreshadows the false appearances that will define their early interactions.

The Plastic Band: An Accidental Union

The cheap plastic ring from the Vegas chapel is the physical embodiment of the couple's reckless decision. In Chapter 5, Kennedy dismisses it by saying, “It doesn't mean anything anyway,” and Isaiah agrees. The ring is so insignificant that it looks like it came from a vending machine. This stage of the symbol underscores the lack of intention behind their marriage—it is a mistake, a product of alcohol and impulse. Yet even in this meaningless form, the ring binds them legally, forcing them to navigate the consequences.

The Mother's Ring: A Legacy of Feeling

Isaiah's decision to give Kennedy his late mother's wedding ring marks a turning point. The ring is described as delicate, with an amethyst center stone, a diamond halo, and a patinated gold band—clearly an heirloom with history. Isaiah explains that he asked for this ring after his mother's death because he remembered how the color looked on her skin, and he always planned to give it to the girl he married. By offering it to Kennedy, he is signaling that, despite the transactional nature of their arrangement, he sees her as that girl. Kennedy's initial refusal—she doesn't want to dishonor his mother's memory with a business deal—shows her respect for the ring's significance. Isaiah's insistence, and his admission that he cares about her, plants the seed for genuine emotional connection. This ring becomes a symbol of Isaiah's hope and his willingness to be vulnerable, even as Kennedy remains guarded.

Practical Rings and the Everyday Partnership

In the same scene, Kennedy gives Isaiah a metal band and a silicone ring for games. These rings are functional, designed for his athletic career, but they also represent a mutual investment in the facade. The silicone ring, in particular, is a nod to the practicalities of their fake marriage—it allows Isaiah to appear married without risking injury. Yet the exchange also shows that both are willing to participate in the charade, which paradoxically brings them closer.

The Remarriage: A Promise Sealed

The epilogue reveals that two years later, Kennedy and Isaiah choose to remarry in the same Vegas chapel, this time with full intention. Kennedy has taken off her wedding ring for the first time in two years so that Isaiah can put it back on during the ceremony. Isaiah reflects that this time, slipping the ring on her finger is not a ploy to save her job but a promise to love her for the rest of his life. The ring, now his mother's again, has come full circle: it is no longer a prop but a genuine symbol of commitment, family, and the couple's shared future. The fact that their nephew Max carries the ring down the aisle, and that they acknowledge it belonged to their grandmother, ties the symbol to themes of legacy and continuity.

Character and Theme Connections

The wedding ring is deeply intertwined with Isaiah's grief and his relationship with his mother. His weather-related anxiety, which stems from her death during a storm, is juxtaposed with the ring's presence; the ring becomes a tangible link to her memory. By giving it to Kennedy, Isaiah allows her into that emotional space, signaling his growth from a man who hides behind humor to one who can share his vulnerabilities.

For Kennedy, the ring represents her journey toward autonomy. Her previous engagement was not her choice, and her family's expectations have always dictated her path. The ring she wears in the epilogue is one she has chosen, and the marriage is one she enters freely. This shift mirrors the novel's broader themes of performance vs. authenticity and family expectations vs. personal autonomy.

The ring also connects to the theme of grief and the significance of anniversaries. Isaiah and Kennedy marry on the anniversary of his mother's death, and the ring he gives her is a direct inheritance from that loss. Over time, the date transforms from a day of sorrow to one of gratitude, just as the ring transforms from a reminder of loss to a symbol of love.

Finally, the ring underscores the theme of learning intimacy and vulnerability. Kennedy's initial reluctance to wear the ring reflects her fear of emotional exposure, while Isaiah's insistence shows his willingness to risk rejection. As the ring becomes a permanent part of her hand, it signals her growing comfort with closeness.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does the wedding ring's physical form change throughout the novel, and what does each change signify?

The ring appears as a diamond engagement ring, a plastic chapel band, Isaiah's mother's amethyst ring, and practical metal/silicone rings. The diamond ring represents a relationship imposed on Kennedy, lacking her agency. The plastic band signifies the accidental, meaningless nature of the Vegas marriage. The mother's ring carries sentimental weight and Isaiah's genuine feelings, while the practical rings show mutual investment in the facade. In the epilogue, the mother's ring returns as a symbol of intentional love and commitment.

2. Why does Kennedy initially refuse to wear Isaiah's mother's ring, and what does her eventual acceptance reveal about her character?

Kennedy refuses because she feels that wearing a family heirloom during a transactional marriage would dishonor his mother's memory. This shows her respect for the ring's significance and her discomfort with pretending the marriage is real. Her eventual acceptance, after Isaiah insists that she is the girl he married, reveals her growing willingness to trust him and to consider the possibility that their relationship might become genuine.

3. In what ways does the ring connect to Isaiah's grief over his mother's death?

Isaiah kept the ring as the only memento he asked for after his mother passed, because he remembered how the color looked on her skin. He always planned to give it to the woman he married. By giving it to Kennedy, he is integrating her into his emotional history and allowing her to share in his grief. The ring also ties to the anniversary date, which is both his mother's death and his wedding day, transforming a day of loss into one of love.

4. How does the ring's meaning in the epilogue differ from its meaning in the Vegas chapel scene?

In the Vegas chapel, the plastic ring is a meaningless artifact of a drunken mistake, easily dismissed. In the epilogue, the mother's ring is worn with intention and love. Isaiah explicitly states that this time, slipping the ring on Kennedy's finger is a promise to love her for the rest of his life, not a ploy to save her job. The ring has evolved from a prop in a performance to a genuine symbol of commitment and shared future.

For further exploration, see the main book page, the character analyses of Isaiah Rhodes and Kennedy Kay, and the theme pages on performance vs. authenticity, grief and anniversaries, and learning intimacy and vulnerability.