Effective shoreline protection is vital to preserve important coastal infrastructure and key coastal ecosystems in the Gulf coast region. Hybrid living shorelines offer a nature-based solution, maintaining shoreline integrity with natural marsh vegetation while buffering erosive wave action through the construction of detached breakwaters. At sites where breakwaters are effectively reducing wave energy, we expect to see a higher proportion of fine sediment, which might indicate shoreline accretion or slower rates of shoreline erosion. However, the site wave and water level assessments necessary for a comprehensive assessment are costly and time-consuming. This research synthesizes long-term, in-situ wave data with sediment characteristic data and long-term shoreline movement data at multiple living shorelines sites in Alabama. The primary objective is to determine if changes in sediment characteristics can be used as a cost-effective indicator of effective wave attenuation by breakwaters. Subsequently, we aim to assess if wave-driven changes in sediment characteristics are correlated with shoreline erosion rates. This integrated approach provides a transparent, adaptable, and cost-effective assessment of large-scale restoration projects, thereby guiding restoration design to maximize resilience benefits.