Halani Fine, Koli Vaipulu, Sitiveni Vaipulu, Sione Teulaka and Samuela Taukatelata were pulling onto State Highway 2 after finishing work when their car collided with a logging truck on Tuesday night.
The five men died at the scene.
Before the service began several women adorned the stage with tapa cloth, woven mats, flowers and the photographs of the five men.
Family members shed tears and held each other in comfort.
The 200 seats put out for the ceremony were quickly filled last night and members of the local community, including the Katikati Fire Service, stood in the wings and flowed out of the church.
About 500 people attended the service.
Speaking to the Bay of Plenty Times through an interpreter, Meleane Prescott said her brother Sitiveni Vaipulu (44) had been in New Zealand as part of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme for the past eight years so he could send much needed money back home to his wife and four children.
"He was really happy helping, he worked really hard for them."
He was due to fly back home next month.
His son Koli, who had celebrated his 21st birthday in March, was on his second RSE trip to New Zealand.
He had come to New Zealand to help his father bring money back home to Tonga and was due to fly back to Tonga in two weeks.
Prescott said she terribly missed her brother already.
Having lived in New Zealand since 2005 she looked forward to her brother's visits each year, bringing news and memories of home.
"He was soft and humble. He respected me and my family."
Sitiveni's wife Ana and three other children were "doing okay", she said.
They were waiting for their husband, father and eldest brother's body to be repatriated back home to begin grieving properly.
"They can't wait to see them."
Prescott said she would fly with her brother and nephew's body home to Tonga this weekend so a proper funeral could be held.
The Tongan community was hit hardest by the tragedy, but the loss transcended nationalities and a wide variety of people attended the memorial, including many workers from Vanuatu.
Tongan Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva, who is visiting New Zealand, was due to visit the grieving community but yesterday pulled out of the visit, reportedly because of bad weather.
